Scandalous
by Bmcenroe132
Summary: The Ministry is about to be hit with a scandal. Can the Wizarding world's top Fixer Draco Malfoy keep the flames a bay? And why did he leave his job in the Minister's office anyways? Read to find out.
1. Dirty Little Secrets

Dirty Little Secret

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the rights to the Character's in this store. The plot of this story is based loosely on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes.

Draco Malfoy was many things, but one thing he wasn't was a failure. He took pride in what he did every day, he helped people. Good people who found themselves in unfortunate situations. Draco Malfoy was a fixer, he made people's problems go away. It was as if they never existed in the first place. He took pride in his work, and he was good at what he did.

After the war, he did something that surprised just about everyone: he went to a muggle University. Through this day he couldn't explain why exactly he had done it, just that at the time he knew it was right. He studied muggle law, something he found he was actually very interested in and something that would come in handy when he would later work for the new Minister who was trying to bring change to their world. When he was done, he went back to Wizarding world and set up shop as Draco Malfoy and Associates or DMA for short until he was brought in to help the Minister of Magic. When he left the ministry a year ago, he got the old gang back together, and they had picked up where they had left off. Draco had brought respect back to the name Malfoy something had been working towards since the end of the world. He was no longer looked at as the son of a Death Eater; he was someone people had grown to respect.

It was early Monday morning. Draco despised Mondays. Mondays always brought light to the stupid and irresponsible things his clients had gotten up to on the weekends. At five in the morning when his phone rang, he knew today was going to be a Monday from hell. Theo, his friend and long-time partner, had informed him the Minister's Undersecretary had phoned. The fact that the Minister's Undersecretary had called before five in the morning meant nothing good was going to come of this day. This was why Draco sat on a park bench a few blocks from the Ministry of Magic just as the sun started to rise.

A dark-haired woman sat down next to him, two coffee's in hand. "Thank you for meeting me so early," she said handing one of the cups to him.

"Pansy, what are old friends for?" He asked with a smirk taking the coffee with a grateful nod.

"Look I need a favor," she said cutting straight to the reason she had phoned so early.

"You need a favor, or the Minister needs a favor," he asked.

"The Minister doesn't know I am here. But yes the favor is for her."

"Out of lucky Pans, because I am fresh out of favors for her," he said starting to stand. She held out her arm to stop him.

"Will you at least hear me out," she asked, "For old time's sake?"

He sat back down "Fine."

"Look I don't know what happened between you and her, or why you left, and I'm not going to ask. She needs your help though whether she knows it yet or not."

"Get to the point Pans."

"It's her husband." This was not the first time they had this conversation.

"Good for nothing piece of crap."

"Yeah well, that good for nothing piece of crap hasn't been able to keep it in his pants again. A girl has come forward and is going to go to the press about her affair with the Minister's husband."

Draco was not at all surprised by this; the man had always been a real winner in Draco's opinion. "Tell her to leave him," he said.

"She can't do that, and you know it. Look Draco I don't have to tell you all the great things she has done since she took office. She is going to get the werewolf legislation to pass. You know though, if she leaves him, it won't be the poor Minister whose philandering husband broke her heart. It will be that she is the ice queen who made her husband run into someone else's arms. It will be her fault that he is a cheating man slut. They are all gunning for her, and they would love to tear her down."

"Pansy, really, as moving as all this is, this is your job to fix not mine."

"I can't tell her about this one," he eyed his old friend for a moment. He could tell she was on edge.

"You're afraid if she finds out about this one, this will be the last straw, and she will leave him."

"There has been rumor's for years, and she has dodged them, pretending they are happily married. She won't do it anymore though; things between them have been pretty ugly for a while."

He looked at his friend, Pansy was a lot of things, but she was loyal. She helped get the Minister to where she was, and he knew she would be damned if she let the Minister let their hard work go down the drain. "Have the girl in my office by nine," he said before standing.

"Thank you," Pansy said.

"How did you catch wind of this anyways?" He asked out of curiosity. It was usually him who was the first to know about these kinds of things.

"I have my sources," she said with a smirk.

"How is she?" He asked taking more of a serious tone.

"She's..." she trailed off trying to find the right words. "Lost. She is keeping to herself more than usual." He only nodded before turning, and he made his way towards his office. Yes, this was going to be a very long week.

...

By the time nine AM rolled around, Draco had already had a hell of a morning. Not only was he dealing with the Minister's philandering husband, but he also had six other clients who had gotten themselves into more trouble than they could handle over the weekend. Needless to say, Draco and all of his associates had their hands full.

True to her word, Pansy had the young woman sitting in the waiting room of Draco's office right on time.

"Follow me," he said to the woman as he passed. She got up in a hurry and followed Draco towards the back where his office was located.

After shutting the door, Draco motioned for the young girl to take a seat. Moving around to the other side of the desk he took his own. He took a moment to consider the girl's appearance, she was the in your face type of beauty: young and very pretty, very much the scumbag's type.

"So I understand you feel you have a story that would interest the papers Ms.?"

"My name is Tinsley Haze, and I do," she said simply.

"A story that would publicly embarrass the Minister of Magic," he said curtly.

"Be that as it may be, I think the public has a right to know the story they are being fed about the Minister and her husband is a lie. I think the public should know what kind of man he really is."

"What kind of man would that be?"

"The kind of man who cheats on his wife."

"There have been these types of rumors before concerning the minister's husband. What makes this any different?"

"I have proof."

Draco raised his eyebrows slightly. This was not the first time he had dealt with this very situation, concerning the very man in question at the present moment. "What kind of proof?"

"I am pregnant," she said flatly. "And when I told him, he called me a slag and slammed the door in my face. Which I recorded partly for my own protection."

"A recording?" He asked interestedly "And you are positive that if a paternity spell were to be performed, it would prove what you are claiming?"

"Mr. Malfoy, I can see the judgment written on your face, but I didn't wake up that morning set out to sleep with the Minister of Magic's husband. To be honest, I didn't recognize him at first. And I certainly didn't think a one night stand would turn into something that is quite literally life-changing for me."

Something she had just said stirred something at the back of his mind but he couldn't put his finger on it. "With all due respect Ms. Haze, I find that a little hard to believe. He is pretty famous in his own right aside from being married to someone in power."

"Do you know he changes his appearance ever so slightly when he goes out without his wife?"

"If that is true, how can you be sure that it was him?"

"A birthmark on his left butt cheek," Draco, unfortunately, knew this little fact to be true, having dealt with women like Ms. Haze on behalf of the Minster before.

"I don't think you understand what you will be doing to yourself by putting this out there with your name on it. Women are never the victims in these kinds of things. You will be dragged through the mud."

"It will be worth it," She said stubbornly.

"How?"

"It just will."

That's when it hit him. This girl she was not unintelligent. She knew he would never leave his wife. He doubted she had deluded herself into thinking otherwise. She had deliberately set him up, the question was why and who had gotten her to agree? A million things started running through his mind: was this an opponent who was trying to sabotage the Minister's chances for re-election. One thing was for sure, he had to get to the bottom of this before the papers got wind of it.

"Ms. Haze, I am not going to stop you from going to the paper. I ask, however, that you hold off for another day," Draco said calmly.

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't owe you or the Minster anything," she said

"No, you are just the woman who was stupid enough to fall into bed with a married man. Ms. Haze, let me make myself very clear, you may not owe me anything, but I sure as hell don't owe you anything. My number one priority at the moment is the reputation of the Minster. You should know that if it comes to it, I will go after you and I am very good at what I do. So why don't you think about that for the next twenty-four hours?" He stood from his seat indicating for her to do the same. "I believe you can show yourself out," he said pointing to the door.

Once she was gone Draco picked up the phone "Blaise, I want you to find out everything you can about Tinsley Haze and stick someone on her tail. I want to know everything there is to know about her." He slammed the phone down before striding over to the coat rack and grabbing his coat. He really did hate Mondays.

...

It was noon, and Draco found himself walking into the Ministry of Magic. He had been arguing with himself all morning along. He had told himself when he left the Ministry a year ago that he would no longer clean up the messes this place always seemed to land themselves in. He was done being everyone's fixer on a government salary. Yet he found himself back to clean up another mess.

He took the lift up to level one where he knew he would be able to find the topic of this morning's crisis. As he made his way through level one, several people waved in greeting, his only response was a nod in their direction. He came to a stop in front of the pretty witch who was sitting at the desk that guarded the Minister's office.

"Good morning Daisy. Is she in?"

Daisy looked up and beamed at him "Mr. Malfoy, how are you?"

"Doing well, is she in?" He asked again.

"She is on her way back up from a meeting with Mr. Potter. Why don't you go on in and wait for her? She should only be a few more minutes."

"Thank you," He said before heading through the door just behind her.

The office hadn't changed much since the last time he had been there. The walls were still lined with bookshelves that were jammed pack with every book one could think of from the muggle and magic world. When he had worked here, he had spent many hours holed up in this office with the Minster trying to figure out how to avoid one disaster or another. On several occasions, the topic had been her errant husband and his inability to keep his pecker in his pants. He had never understood why she continued to stay with the man, and it was one of the reasons he had left. It seemed not much really had changed since he had been gone.

Behind him, the door opened again, and in walked the one person he had tried very hard to avoid for the better part of the last year, the Minister of Magic herself.

She stopped short when she took notice of him standing there clearly surprised to find him waiting for her, "Draco what are you doing here?" She asked closing the door behind her.

"A problem was brought to my attention this morning," he said coolly.

"Is that so?" she said moving towards her desk.

He didn't move from his spot by the bookshelf trying to maintain a certain amount of distance. "Yes, it seems there is another woman who is claiming to have had liaisons with your husband," he didn't sugarcoat it; she had never liked it when he did.

"I thought you had stopped concerning yourself with the problems of this office," she replied just as coolly.

"It's a favor for Pansy," he said curtly.

"Why didn't Pansy bring this to me herself?"

He didn't say anything for a moment while he took in her appearance. She had lost several pounds since the last time he had seen her. There were dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. "She didn't want to burden you with this."

She laughed bitterly "She thinks I'll leave him. Which, according to her, would be the worst thing ever."

"She isn't wrong, you know."

"She isn't married to the man."

"I've interviewed the woman; she says that she has proof."

"She's smart then, none of the others ever did."

"Granger, did you pay this woman to set up your husband?" He said cutting to the chase. She didn't say anything, with a look of guilt. "Are you out of your mind?" He roared at her.

"Why? Because I want to be rid of him."

"Because you know how this will play out in the papers. And what if it were to get out that you paid her."

"I don't care, Malfoy." She yelled back. "I am sick and tired of this marriage. I am tired of the whispers that go on behind my back. People are wondering why I allow him to stay; they wonder if I am the reason he has a wondering eye. I am tired of him looking me in the eye and telling me he loves me when I know he is looking for his next lay. I am just tired of it all."

"She claims she is pregnant. Was that part of the plan as well?"

She looked shocked for a moment, "No of course not."

"Well, she claims that she is. Damn it, Granger, what were you thinking? Even if you do survive this in the papers, what happens when re-elections come back around, and your competition gets hold of this? Why didn't you come to me? I could have helped you."

"Who says I want to be re-elected? Besides, when you left you made it very clear that you didn't want anything to do with me or my problems," she said softly.

"Are you being serious right now?"

"This job isn't what I thought it would be. This job takes everything from me. No one wants real change. People say they do, but they don't. I am being fought at every turn, this job..." she trailed off.

"Granger, this job means more to you than anything. You have fought so hard to get here. You have given up so much to be here standing in this office. You can't just quit now."

"I want out of this marriage. I am done playing the good wife, who stands by her husband's side. If the end of my marriage costs me this office then so be it. This office has already cost me enough. I'm not going to continue to put my happiness on the back burner."

"So you want me to do nothing."

"I don't need a fixer Draco, I need a divorce."

...

The following morning the dung truly hit the fan. The morning edition of the Prophet's front page was taken up by a picture of Ron Weasley and Ms. Haze, the headline read 'War Hero a Cheating Husband?'

Rumors have swirled around for years about the state of the Minister of Magic Hermione Granger's marriage to Ron Weasley. This is not the first time a rumor has surfaced of Mr. Weasley and his wandering eye. It is, however, the first time the young woman has been willing to step forward to tell her story. According to Ms. Haze, she and Mr. Weasley met on the night of August 4th at the local tavern just outside of Newport, Wales. On the night in question, she was invited back by Mr. Weasley to a hotel room under the name Billius. Those close to Mr. Weasley will know this is his middle name and that he uses it rather often as an alias. Ms. Haze claims Billius (Weasley) engaged in an extramarital affair with her. As of yet, there had been no comment from the Minister's office regarding these allegations.

Pansy threw the paper down in aggravation before rounding on Draco who was currently sitting in her office, "I thought you said you would take care of this," she said through gritted teeth.

"I thought I had," Draco said with ease.

"Clearly you didn't," She said holding up the paper and waving it around. "We have to do damage control."

"I didn't sign up for damage control."

"We have to release a statement denying the allegations."

"She won't allow it."

"She doesn't know what is good for her," Pansy shot back.

"Pansy, she is done. She won't allow any more excuses to be made."

Pansy narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "When did you speak with her?"

"Yesterday while you were out for lunch."

"You took this to her? Even after I told you what she would do if this became public knowledge."

"Pansy, she set this whole thing in motion."

"She did what?" Pansy screeched.

"She is tired of being in a loveless marriage. She is tired of the embarrassment he has caused. She wanted a way out, so she created one,"

"Please tell me you are joking."

"I wish I could."

"How are you sitting there all calm and collected? She has masterminded her own political downfall," she said narrowing her eyes at him yet again. "You are secretly happy about this aren't you?"

"Are you mental?"

"I'm not blind you know Draco," she said dramatically. "I can see the way you look at her, the way she looks at you. Do you think that if she's suddenly single, the two of you might actually make a go of it?"

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," he said brushing her comments off.

"Did she have an affair with you? Is that why you left a year ago?"

"I left because I felt my time here was done; I was ready to move on to other things."

"You don't deny it. She had an affair with you, for Merlin's sake! What is wrong with these people? Do they not know how to keep it in their pants?"

"Look, Pansy, whatever may or may not have happened between Granger and me is really none of your business. I have made sure that no one will ever know Hermione was behind all of this, but you should probably start preparing a statement for the papers announcing her plans to divorce Weasley. She is currently in her office taking with Zabini about how she should proceed. You should also know the woman, Ms. Haze, claims to be pregnant with his child."

She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself. "We are on a sinking ship," she whispered to herself. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"She is thinking of not running for re-election. I don't know if she thinks it will be impossible with the current state of her marriage or if there are other reasons, but that is where she stands."

"You have to talk to her."

"I did yesterday."

"Draco we have come too far and sacrificed so much to get her here."

"I know that, but so has she Pansy. Have you taken a good look at her lately? She is skin and bones, the dark circles under her eyes make her look as if she is the walking dead. She is exhausted and rightly so."

"We are all exhausted."

"It's not your name under the title Minister, is it though? It's hers."

"Will you just please try and talk to her again? You seem to be the only one who can get through to her sometimes. Make her see sense."

Draco sighed "I'll do my best."

...

Draco had felt it was best to let things die down a little before approaching Granger again. He waited till the following morning before showing up at the brownstone she shared with Weasley in London. When he reached the door, he could hear raised voices coming from inside. The thought of leaving and coming back at another time crossed his mind before the door was opened and he was dragged in by Potter.

The yelling was coming from the kitchen. He could tell it was Granger and Weasley arguing, and by the sound of it, it had gotten pretty ugly. "How long has that been going on?" Draco whispered.

"All morning," Potter replied. "She told him she was filing for divorce and wanted him to move out of the house."

"I can hear how well he's taking it," Draco said sarcastically.

"You can't leave me," they both heard him to her, which Draco knew to be a bad move on Weasley's part. They both winced when they heard the slap she must have bestowed upon him.

"You don't blame her, do you?" Draco asked Potter. He was unsure where Potter would stand on this issue; the three of them had a long history. Draco knew being stuck in the middle was never easy for Potter.

"Heavens no. Don't get me wrong, he is my mate and my brother-in-law, but I wish she would have done it sooner. I think we can all agree this is long overdue."

"You're here for moral support?" Draco asked eyeing Potter. The man was distinctly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"I think I am here because she was afraid she might kill him if she was left alone with him for too long." Just then they heard the door of the kitchen slam before loud footsteps down the hall. A moment later Ron appeared in front of them anger rolling off him. The moment he saw Draco his face turned a nasty color of red. There had never been any love lost between the two of them.

"What are you doing in my house?" He yelled.

"Pansy sent him," they heard a small voice say. "And Ron this house is no longer yours. So I would appreciate it if you would leave now."

He turned to look at her with a response ready before Potter stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on mate, let's get out of here. I think we both know more yelling isn't going to solve anything right now," Ron looked as if he wanted to argue some more before giving Hermione a venomous look and heading to the door.

When they were gone an awkward silence fell between them. She motioned for him to follow her after a moment of standing there looking at each other. She led him back down the hall she and Weasley had just come from.

"Tea," She asked while she busied herself with the kettle upon entering the large kitchen.

"Sure,"

"Sit" She motioned to the bar stools nestled under the kitchen island. "Pansy said she asked you to come,"

He looked around for a moment and took in his surroundings. He had only been to their home on only a handful of occasions. He had never truly been comfortable with Weasley, even when he did work for the Ministry. Some things never changed and how he felt about Ron Weasley was definitely one of them.

"She wants me to talk to some reason into you about not running again,"

She laughed bitterly "Have you seen this morning's headline? The people who oppose me can smell the blood in the water. They are calling my judgement into question."

"Screw them," she handed him his cup of tea. "Thank you."

"The problem is this Wizarding world is still stuck in the 20th century. And did you know that fifty present of the female population is unemployed? They are still stuck inside the home, taking care of the children. Men still hold all of the power. And all those old men who don't agree with my policies think I should just look the other way when comes to Ron. Men will be men they say as if what he has done is of no real consequence."

"So you are going to let these old men run you off? Whether they believe it or not, they are on their way out Hermione. Their time is almost up, and our generation is taking over."

"Not fast enough apparently."

"Granger, I have never known you to run away from a fight. We can spin this to our advantage. You are the brightest witch of our age. You took the darkest wizard of all time head on and came out on the other side on top. In the last three years as Minister of Magic, you have passed groundbreaking laws that allow the underdogs a fighting chance. You have helped shape a world of inclusion for those who have always been mistreated and left out. They have a real voice now thanks to you. If you were to run again, I have no doubt that you would win another term."

"I don't have your certainty."

"Look, you have three months to decide if you will seek a second term. Take that time and figure out what you want to do. And if you decide you want to run again, I'll be there to run your campaign. I will do everything in my power to make sure that we, as a society, don't take five steps back."

"You would really be there?" She asked in a small voice. He had gone back and forth with himself all night about whether he would promise to help her or not. There were a lot of unsaid things hanging in the air between them. When he left his post at the Ministry, they had left their personal and professional relationship in a pretty rocky place.

"Yes," He said firmly. "I believe in you. I believe in the vision you have for all of us. I see how much you want to make this world a better place for future generations. I know you want a world in which someone like yourself never has to question whether or not they belong."

"I'm sorry," she said in a whisper after a long moment. He could tell the conversation was about to take a turn he wasn't ready for.

"For what?"

"For not leaving him before now. For choosing wrong when you gave me an ultimatum. For making you feel as if what we had was of consequence to me."

He held up his hands "Granger you didn't owe me anything. I was the one who should have known better than to..." he trailed off.

"To have fallen in love with me," she said finishing his thought for him.

"Yes."

"What we had did matter to me. It meant the world to me. I was just scared."

"Look, you have some things to figure out. When you do, you know where to find me," he said getting up from his stool. "No one can make you do anything. I, of all people know that, let me know what you decide."

Without another word, he made his way out of the kitchen and back up the hall. Letting himself out, he was hit by the autumn air, and finally released the breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He was a fool to agree to help her, he knew that. She just had a way about her; she was like a siren calling to him. And if she needed him, he knew that he would go running. He still to this day didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way he had allowed himself to fall in love with that woman, and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to move on from her.

...

It had been a month and a half since Draco had seen Hermione, and he had kept himself busy. A busy mind had less time to obsess over the things he couldn't change. News of the divorce had hit the papers a week after the initial reports of Weasley's affair, and it had sent the press into a tailspin. Some of her most vehement opponents had taken the opportunity to shame her in her failed relationship, but there had been an outpouring of support for her all the same.

The world was changing; it was no longer socially expectable for a man to step out on his marriage and participate in extramarital affairs. Gone was the day when marriage's sole purpose was to continue on the pureblood line. She had become a symbol of hope for women; if the Minister could leave her unfaithful husband, then why shouldn't all the women who had suffered in silence be able to?

It was a Friday evening, and Draco was home for the night. It had been a long week, and he was glad to see the end of it. He had settled himself with a glass of fire whiskey on his terrace that overlooked the city. This was his sanctuary, a place of peace and quiet where he could unwind from the chaos he had endured during the week.

His mind wandered to Granger as it often did when he allowed himself a moment away from the rest of the world. She had become an enigma to him; she always kept him guessing as to what she might do next. It was what had drawn him to her in the first place. He had thought when they were back in school that he had had her figured out. He thought he had known who she was then, but he had been wrong. When he allowed himself to look past the preludes he had been taught, he found that she was rather amazing in every way.

She was not the in your face beauty that most men chased after, her beauty was subtle and intriguing. She drew you in with her intelligence, compassion, and grace. Slowly she wound herself around you until before you even knew it, she was growing under your skin until your every thought was of her until your own happiness depended on her.

When his feelings for her started to take root, he told himself he had to tread lightly. She was a married woman who took the sanctity of marriage very seriously, even if her husband did not. Though like her he was a force to be reckoned with.

They had been working late one night on the purposed legislation that would impose a marriage law. It had ignited a heated argument between them that had somehow turned into a debate about her own marriage and her willingness to turn a blind eye. Before he knew it, he had her pinned to the wall claiming her mouth as his. It only took a few seconds before he came to his senses and pulled away and took a step back. Both, heaving at the chest, were staring at one another unable to look away. He had known at that moment he had crossed a line that he would be unable to cross back. Merlin though if she didn't look utterly sexy at that moment. He had done the very thing he had told himself he could not. When they regained their composure, they agreed to never speak of it again. For a while that had worked, until it didn't.

After that night they shared stolen glances from one another. They would find excuses to work late and alone. When she would travel on Ministry business, he would accompany her even when he was not needed. They were having an emotional affair; Weasley had taken notice of their sudden closeness and had grown enraged. Draco had found it comical seeing as it was Weasley own stupidity that had brought it about.

One night after a heated fight with Weasley she had shown up at his flat in tears. Weasley had said some pretty awful things to her in the heat of the moment before he had stormed out. She had felt that she couldn't take her problems to any of her other friends, because in doing so she would be forcing them to pick a side. Draco was the only person who didn't have to pick a side because he would always be firmly on hers.

It was that night that their emotional affair became a physical one. The following morning when he awoke with her still firmly wrapped in his arms, he knew that he had dug himself into a hole he couldn't climb back out of. He was controlled by her every move; she owned him, and it scared him.

"Penny for your thoughts," he jumped when he heard the all too familiar voice from behind him.

"For Merlin's sake, didn't your parents ever teach not to sneak up on someone?" he said whipping around to face the intruder.

She shrugged before making her way over to the lounge beside him. "I had forgotten how beautiful the view was from up here," she said after she settled herself in.

"Yeah, it's pretty breathtaking," he said, but he wasn't looking out over the city lights.

"Blaise said I would be able to find here," she said softly not tearing her eyes away from the view.

"Did he?" he said in a tone which was dripping with disapproval.

"I went by the office see if I could catch you before you headed home, but I had just missed you."

"I thought I would have an early night for once." They let the silence fall between them, just listening to the traffic from below. He had forgotten how easy it was just sitting with her even if they didn't say anything.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Our first night together," he answered honestly.

She smiled softly "That was a pretty amazing night."

"Was it?"

"That was the night I knew my marriage was over."

"I hardly think you can count that as amazing."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean it wasn't," she said with a small chuckle.

She tore her eyes from the view to look over at him. "It was amazing because for the first time in a long time I did what I wanted to do. I didn't scrutinize every last detail; I didn't make a pros-cons list in my head. I just did it without thinking. I jumped head first."

"Why are you here Granger?"

"I thought about what you said," she said taking a deep breath. "I want to run again because you are right, I am not one to run away from a fight."

He smiled he had known she would come around "I'll call Theo first thing in the morning, and we will get the ball rolling for the campaign."

"I have some conditions though," she said holding up her hand.

"Of course you do."

"I want to run again, but I want to come clean about a few things before I do."

"Everyone has secret's Granger, it's ok not to be a completely open book. I am pretty good at keeping people's secrets you know? It's how I make my living."

She smiled "I want to come clean about you and me."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said laughing but stopped when he realized she was dead serious. "You'll be admitting to an affair of your own. That is very dangerous territory."

"My husband had affairs. You and I, we had a love affair. Something that only started after my husband had made it very clear that he would do as he pleased with whomever he pleased. A love affair I ended when my husband begged me for another chance, and it was only after he had broken another promise to remain faithful did I end my marriage. You are not my dirty little secret Draco, and I won't have you or the world believe otherwise. Ron might have broken his vows, but so did I. I can't be the honorable candidate otherwise."

"I never thought of myself as your dirty secret," he said.

She smiled a sad smile "Yes, you did, you begged me to leave him, and I told you no. I was scared of the unknown. I let my fear drive a wedge between us. And when Ron asked me for another chance, I gave in because it what was easy."

"It was because you still believed in your marriage."

"No, it was because loving you terrified me. You had touched my soul in a way that no one else ever had. Going back to Ron meant I didn't have risk having my heart broken by you, instead, I think I might have broken yours, and for that, I am truly very sorry. I loved you very much Draco. I still do."

Her words knocked the wind out of him, 'I still do.'

"I know it's too late to fix what I broke, and I'm not asking for another chance. Merlin knows I don't deserve it after what I put you through..." he cut off by pulling her over to him, so she was now sitting on his lap.

"It's not too late," he said as he started to trail kisses down her neck and then back up "I...have...waited...a...long...time...to... hear...you...say...that..." he claimed her mouth with his, this kiss so much like their first set his skin on fire. Everything about her was intoxicating.

Being with her now like this made him wonder how he had ever been able to walk away in the first place. She was his home; she was his refuge from the mean world. His world began and ended with her. He stood up bringing her with him; she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her back through the open door, never breaking their kiss. His heart was pounding so loud in his chest he thought he might actually go deaf from the sound of it. When he reached his bedroom, he laid her down on to the bed gently before pulling away from her.

"Granger, I am only going to tell you this once, so you better listen. There is no way in hell I am letting you get away this time, so you have better be sure about this." He said looking her deep in the eyes.

She smiled up at him, "I have never been surer of anything,"

He smirked down at her before it turned into a wide smile "Good," was all he could get out before she had pulled him back in for another earth-shattering kiss.

There would still be a ton of things that they would still need to figure out, but for the moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was this moment. The rest they had plenty of time for.

Author's Note: Hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment, I love to hear people's feed back.


	2. One Last Card To Play

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

Draco Malfoy was basking in what he hoped would become his new normal. The last several weeks had been some of the best in recent memory, and it was all because of Hermione Granger. He never thought he could truly be as happy as he was right now. His days became easier when he knew he could go home to her at night. They had spent Christmas in Paris and he couldn't ever remember enjoying the holiday more. Still though he had this nagging feeling it wouldn't last, he was a pessimist to the core who was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. And he had a feeling it was just around the corner.

January was the dawn of a new year, it was also the run up to the long anticipated announcement for the Minster of Magic election. There had been a lot of speculation if currant Minister of Magic Hermione Granger would seek re-election. After her's husband infidelity became public knowledge many wonder if she had had enough of the very public life that came along with being Minister of Magic. No one would blame her in the slightest if she were to decide against running again. To say it had been a difficult few months would have been an understatement. She had till the end of the week to file the formal paper's and the Wizarding World was waiting with baited breath.

Monday morning found Draco in the full swing of peroration's for the up coming campaign. The DMA office had turned into the campaign head quarters for the Minster. For the part two weeks they had kept things under wraps, which meant only a hand full of people knew of Granger's plan. It was still on a need to know bases, which at the moment only included Draco's associates, and a handful employees inside the Minister's inner office.

Draco was currently reviewing polling number's with Pansy Parkinson who was Hermione's Undersecretary.

"She has a high approval rating at the moment," Pansy remarked looking over some of the data Draco's team had collected over the last few weeks.

"Well she has the sympathy vote going for her at the moment. Woman can relate to the troubles she has had in her marriage," he said handing her another sheet of parchment.

"Why do I feel like there is a but coming," Pansy said with narrowed eyes.

"She wants to come clean about her affair," they had not broached the subject with Pansy yet, both knowing how she would feel about it.

"You mean the affair that she had with you "

"I wasn't aware she had another," he said sarcastically.

"Do you have polling number's on that as well," he shifted through paper's for a moment till he found it and handed it over.

She took a moment and scanned over the parchment before looking up. "The women have turned on her,"

"Yeah," He said gravely.

"Has she seen these numbers,"

"I showed them to her yesterday."

"And?"

"She doesn't care, look she is adamant about running as the honorable candidate, which means in her mind she has to tell the world about me,"

"She will loose," Pansy said a little over dramatically.

"Not necessarily, but I would be a tight race,"

"Do you know who's never cheated on his wife? Anthony Goldstein. You know who's wife has never cheated of him, Anthony Goldstein who just this morning announced his bid for Minister. She will loose,"

"We can mop the floor with Goldstein. No one even knows who he is, he has no political capital. We are the incumbent candidate, She literal just got the werwolf protection act passed last week. Not to mention everything else she has accomplished."

"None of that will matter and you know it. How many campaigns have you run? You are bing blinded by your involvement. If this was another candidate you would have already put a stop to this."

"I am not being blinded. I tired talking to her when the numbers came in, but she brushed them off. You will have to talk to her about this one, like you said I am to close to this one,"

"What about Weasley?" she said clearly moving on.

"He has been keeping his head down, Ms. Haze has disappeared into obscurity. He has been acting very unWealsyish of late," Draco said passing over a file.

"Do we have someone on his tail?"

"Flint, Weasley won't make a move without us knowing about it,"

"When will Blaise have the divorce finalized? We need to make a statement to the paper's,"

"All that will be left at the end of the week is for them sign them,"

"And we are sure he will sign them, he has put up a pretty good fight from the get go," Pansy asked skeptically.

"Potter has a assured me that he will sign them,"

"Does Potter know about the two of you?"

"No, just you and Theo,"

"Where is Theo? I haven't seen him all morning,"

"Scoping out the Goldstein campaign. He's gotten Padma Patil who was a Ravenclaw prefect with him to run it,"

"Look at you staying on top of things. Patil is good, she will put up a good fight,"

"I'm better," Draco said arrogantly.

Rolling her eyes she stood from her seat "I have a meeting with the French Minister this morning, and then lunch with Hermione. I will try talking to her. Draco we have a press conference set up for Friday, we need to put a stop to this,"

He nodded in understanding "Theo will be back by noon, we are to have lunch to go over what he finds. I'll owl you when I know more. And Pansy tread lightly with Granger, you know she doesn't do well being made to feel like she is nothing more than a puppet,"

"Will do,"

When she was gone Draco was left to his own thoughts which he knew to be dangerous. He looked back on the last few weeks he had been able to spend with Hermione in private. She made him feel whole again, made him feel alive, she took the numbness away. It was a real possibility though that he could take the next fours year's away from her.

She had told him of her vision for her next term, she had already accomplished so much but there was still more to be done. She wanted a complete overhaul of their system of Government. She was taking a play out of the American's playbook. She felt that every position of power should be elected, not appointed. She was going to take the fight straight to the old men's club.

He could see the potential in everything she wanted. There was no doubt in his mind she could do it, he just wasn't sure that she would be able to do it with him by her side. He of course hadn't had the courage to tell her this, because at the moment he was being rather selfish. He wasn't even sure that she would actually listen to him in this instance. He knew that she loved him, that he was the love of her life. She had given up so much already, he wasn't sure he could allow her to give up the next four years for him. Not when he knew how much she really wanted it.

...

It was half past noon before when Theo finally came strolling in with a big grin on his face and lunch in hand.

"Have I ever said how hot Pital is?" He asked as he set the paper bag down on the desk.

"Only every time you see her," Draco said smirking.

"She is a firecracker, to bad her candidate is s dunderhead."

"He was Ravenclaw so I am betting he is not a complete dunderhead. What were you able to dig up,"

"Well he is pretty pro status quo. He's come up through the department of Magical Cooperation. So he has some pretty lofty foreign contacts and he has championed some pretty powerful Treaties with Foreign Governments that have been signed in the last few year."

"Yeah Treaties that Granger set into motion,"

"Yeah, but he is the one that put the work into getting them passed. Look I know how it works, the Minister decides what the priority issues's are and the minions make it happen. I'm just telling you what they are gonna run on."

"I want to get some number's back on him. I want to see what the public opinion is." Theo nodded at this before digging into the paper bag of food. He handed Draco his sandwich before digging into his own.

"How was Pansy this morning,"

"Over dramatic as usually."

"She didn't like the numbers did she?"

"She was less than thrilled. I can't say that I am either, but I don't think it's a lost cause. We are very good at what we do, hell we got the muggle Prime Minister elected didn't we? And you know how many skeletons are in that mans closet."

"Yeah but the muggles haven't fought a civil war in the last ten years have they?"

"What does that have to with anything?"

"Really mate?" Theo sighed and set his lunch down. "We are still very much divided and you know it. The fact that you got a muggleborn elected just five years after the war is a testament to how good you are at your job. Add the fact that muggleborn is a witch is only further proof. Look I know how brilliant she is, but our world hasn't changed that much. Then let's add in the fact that she has had failed marriage, and an affair. It will be an up hill battle the whole way."

"Like I said we are good at what we do,"

"Have you stopped for a moment to think about what this all means for you," when Draco didn't respond he continued "You have dragged the name Malfoy from the mud. You've taken it and polished up and made it mean something again. But the moment the press gets wind of your affair with Granger you won't be Draco Malfoy political fixer you will be back to being Draco Malfoy son of a death eater. Every thing you've done in the past ten years won't matter. Weasley's affairs won't matter anymore, because to the public it won't be his affairs that broke up their marriage it will be her affair with you."

"So you agree with Pansy,"

"While you and Pansy are busy looking out for Granger, I am looking out for you. What did I tell you when you started this business after the war?"

"Because of my involvement with the war, I have to be twice as good as the rest of them,"

"You May have pulled yourself back up on to that pedestal but they are just waiting for you to fall. She was never your's to have,"

"She loves me," he said stubbornly

"I'm sure she does mate and I know you love her too, but at what expense for the both of you,"

Draco didn't say anything, what was there to say? He knew everything Theo had just said was true. Affairs don't end marriage's, love affairs do. A marriage could survive and affair, but when someone falls in love with someone who isn't their spouse, well that is when a marriage ends. He would become the reason her marriage fell apart. He would become the reason her opposers had ammunition. Did he love her enough to have his name dragged through the mud again, and what would be the point when his name would only hurt her further? Were they truly ready to pay the ultimate price?

...

After sending Pansy the owl he promised he called it an early day. His head was too full of personal issues to concentrate on the work at hand. He left Theo in charge and made his way home. He knew it would be several hours before Granger showed up seeing as she had meetings scheduled that would keep her busy all afternoon.

Walking in through the fireplace he took the jacket from his suit off and tossed it over the back of the couch. Making his way over to the drink cart he poured himself a healthy measure of whiskey before taking the files he had brought home with him into his study. He had been over the number's several times at this point, but he couldn't help but continue to pour over them again, as if they would offer some different insight.

The number's they had gotten back on the government overhaul were very promising. People were ready for change, people were tired of the old men's club who still held tight control over their world. The number's were good on her pre-hogwarts's education plan that would allow more woman to enter the workforce.

Looking at most of these number's people believed in her and her vision for the future as he had been sure of along. They would just believe in her less if he was in the picture. In his experience the number never lied. It was hard pill to swallow after having a wonderful past few weeks.

Pulling a piece of parchment towards him he quickly found a pen and scribbled a note to Theo, he had thought of new number he wanted him to run. Calling his owl Pegasus over to him before sending the owl on its ways.

Not long after the owl had vanished into the London winter sky he heard the fireplace come to life. Looking over to the clock on the mantle he saw that it was just after six. It would be Hermione.

He walked out of his study and up the hall to lounge where he came face to face with her. She was busy taking off her coat and shoe's to notice him. He took the moment to observe her while she wasn't looking. He could see the change in her, the dark circle's that had been present back in October were gone. She had put some weight back on, her clothes no longer hung limply off her instead she filled them out very nicely. Her hair feel is soft curls down her slender back, he could smell the sweet scent of Vanilla. It had been a long time since he had seen her this happy and healthy, and he knew he was a large part of that. The number's never lie though.

She turned and saw him standing there, the smile that brightened her face took his breath away "Hi there," she said as she made her way across the room to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him in for a kiss. "You are home early everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just able to get out a little early, that's all," he lied.

"Ok," she pulled way and headed over to the drink cart where she poured herself a glass of Red Wine. "I thought we could order in Italian tonight."

"Sure, you like that place a few blocks away." He said not moving from his spot by the fireplace.

"I will be so glad when Friday comes and goes. We'll finally be able to go out like a normal couple," she remarked as she turned back to face him. "Come sit with me," she said as she moved to the couch.

He did ad she asked, he let her snuggle into his side while he propped his feet up in the coffee table. He loosened his tie before bringing the tumbler of whiskey to his lips. "Did Pansy speak with you?" He asked.

"Yes," he could tell by her tone that Pansy must not have made much head way on the subject. "I don't care what the number's say, we are doing this my way,"

"And what happens if the number are right, and you lose?"

"Then we settle into a nice quiet life of obscurity. We can move Hawkshead, I could be the mayor, and you can be the towns Barrister. We can have a bunch of bushy blonde hair little babies." She said with a smile.

"Hermione,"

"What is wrong with a nice quite life? What's wrong with leaving this all behind? I don't care what the futures brings as long as it has you in it."

"But your vision for our World?"

She shrugged "like I said all that matter's is that you are there. The rest I can do without,"

They didn't say anything for a long time, Draco's mind kept wandering back to Theo's words from this afternoon. "Why don't we order?" He said finally. "I'm sure you are starving,"

...

Wednesday morning found Draco back in his office reviewing more number's with Theo. "So Goldstein doesn't poll as well as I know Patil thought he would."

"And the other number I asked you for," Draco asked.

Theo gave him a skeptical look before handing the over "they are surprisingly not that bad."

"I had a feeling they wouldn't be."

"Why did you ask for them. They are kind of irrelevant don't you think?"

"I want to make sure I have plenty of cards to play. Just trying to be prepared is all," Draco responded.

"Right, well the news conference will be noon on Friday. Everything is set up, ever news outlet in Britain, Ireland, and Scotland will be in attendance. Including the Wizarding wireless network. Several foreign news outlets as well. Does she have her remarks set to paper?"

"Blaise is still putting the finishing touch's on them but they will be done as well."

"Oh I got back the number's on her muggle Technology initiative as well," he handed over another sheet of parchment. "I think these are the best number's we have seen yet on some of her ideas. People are really interested in instant communication. For a community that can be anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds, it's rather absurd we are still relying on owls." Theo remarked.

"Yeah I thought it was one of her more brilliant plans are well. And the amount of Jobs it would creat."

"Yes, we have a lot of great things to run on. Goldstein is lost it seems, Granger's vision for the future is far better than any initiative Goldstein might try and run on."

"I know her vision will play well to the public, that isn't my concern at the moment." Draco said with a sigh.

"You and Pansy haven't been able to move her off of making your relationship public,"

"She says if she looses we can move to Hawkshead. She can be mayor and I a Barrister."

Thor laughed but stopped almost at once "She is serous?"

"Dead,"

"You find that an appealing alternative don't you," Theo said it wasn't a question.

"The idea has a certain amount of charm to it,"

"You would really give all of this up?" He said looking around him. "You put your blood sweat and tears into building this business. You would really give all of this up? "

"I would do just about anything for her,"

"Don't be an idiot here Draco,"

"What would you have me do?"

"You have a card left to play here. I know you don't like it. I know she sure as hell is going to like it. Hell I don't even like it, but if it gets us to our end game."

"She will never go for it."

"Then we don't give her a choice,"

"She'll never speak to me again,"

"I think you are being over dramatic just a bit."

"Am I?"

"See What Pansy thinks,"

Draco didn't say anything just stared down at a piece of parchment. He couldn't do that to her, to them. But he was running out of options.

...

"I think it's brilliant," Pansy said. They were sitting at small bistro in the heart of London, just the two of them going over strategy.

"Glad you think so," he said bitterly.

"Could we get him to agree," she asked.

"Blaise was bringing him in this afternoon to discuss the possibility of it,"

"And Theo thinks the numbers are ok?"

"Yes,"

"I take it you haven't broached the subject with the Minister yet,"

"No I haven't, because I know she will flat out refuse."

"It isn't much of a plan if you can't make it work,"

"If we do this, we have to set it into motion at the right moment. We can't give her anytime to change it."

"So your plan is to what, spring this on her tomorrow while she is standing in front of every News organization in our world,"

"Essentially,"

"That dear Draco is playing with fire,"

"I know," he sighed taking a sip of his tea "She hasn't given me a whole lot of options though has she?"

"What about you? How do you feel about this plan?"

"I hate it,"

"But that's not going to stop you,"

"We both know she belongs in that office. And if this is what is going to keep her there, well who am I to stop it,"

"She might never talk to you again,"

"That's why she has you,"

...

It was Friday morning, and everything they had been planning was about to go to hell with that mornings Headline. 'Minister of Magic's Secret Affair with Draco Malfoy'

Draco nearly choked on his morning coffee when the paper was thrown at him by Pansy. All their hard work was about to go down the drain because some anonymous source was letting the cat out of the bag.

"I thought you said only four people knew about this," she yelled

"Only four people do know about this,"

"Well then someone has some explaining to do,"

"I didn't say anything, and I know Theo didn't either. He has been against this from the get go."

"Well I didn't say anything. Which only leaves one person."

"She didn't trust us,"

"Well do you blame her? Do think she has caught wind of the plan,"

"No of course not, we have been tight lipped about it,"

"Well do you have plan to fix this?"

"Maybe,"

...

It was noon and every news outlet in their world was gathered inside the atrium of the Ministry of Magic waiting for the long anticipated news conference to begin.

Draco was standing off to the side waiting for Hermione to take the podium that had been erected in the center. He had one last card to play he prayed to Merlin that it would work. Everything they had been working on in the last week was riding on it.

The chatter ceased immediately when she walked out.

"Good afternoon," she spoke into the microphone. "I have asked you all to gather here today for a reason. I know that over the last few months many have wondered if I would seek a second term as Minister of Magic. I know that my personal life has been splashed across the pages of ever major news paper, many have have asked if I was fit to continue leading our world forward. I am here today to tell you that I will seek re-election. Myself and my staff have broke ground on some amazing changes in the last four years and I want to continue to do so. It is our vision for the next four years to integrate muggle communication Technology into our world for a faster way of communication. We would like to open a school for pre-Hogwarts eduction for children under 11, so that woman might be able to enter the workforce. And we would like to oversee a government overhaul, so that the voice of the many are heard not just the few. So I leave it up to the people to decide if they see fit for me continue on as their Minister. I'll open the floor for questions now,"

This was the moment, this is what it all came down to. He moved through the crowd and positioned himself. Every reporter's hand raised into the air. "Dean Thomas," he heard her say. Yes, she had done as he had asked. Draco leaned forward and whispered into Dean's ear. When he pulled away Dean looked a little bewildered for a moment before turning back to the Minister. "Minister is it true that you have decided to work on your marriage to Mr. Weasley," he asked

The look of shock and betrayal that played across her face for the briefest of moments was a gut punch to Draco. He met her gaze and hoped to the heavens that she wouldn't blow everything up now. She tore her gaze from him and looked over to the side where he knew Weasley would be standing with Pansy and Theo. Her silence seemed to drag on for an eternity but was no more than a few seconds. She looked back out into the crowd, her gaze resting on Draco again.

"Yes, we have decided to give our marriage another chance," she said finally. He breathed a sigh of relief.

'What about the rumor in this morning Paper's? Did you have an affair with your campaign director Draco Malfoy?' Another report asked.

Her gaze never left his "No, I love my husband and I have remained faithful to him and only to him. I find the rumor's in today's paper to be hurtful not only to myself but also to Mr. Malfoy who has been a good friend to me and my husband over the last four years."

Draco could feel the tightness in his chest at her words. He knew they were of his own design, but they hurt all the same. One thing was for sure, the real battle had just begun.

Author's Note: _Thank you all for Reading! I hope that you are enjoying this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please leave a review._


	3. The Hardest Choice's

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

You could have heard a pin drop, the amount of tension in the room was palpable at the present moment. Draco could tell Hermione was keeping the tears at bay for the moment. She looked at him with disbelief, and betrayal evident in her chocolate eyes. The sight of it nearly broke him in two. What was done, was done now and they couldn't change it. All they could do was move forward.

"I think we have a few things discus." Theo said finally breaking the silence and looking around the room at everyone who had assembled into the small meeting room.

"I think I need to speak to Draco in private." Hermione cut him off. No one said anything as she walked out to an adjoining room with Draco right behind her.

Once the door was closed behind them she rounded on him "I am in utter disbelief." The tears that had been threatening to fall since she had left the podium slipped out of beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

"I know you are mad." His said in what he hoped was soothing tone.

"I was blindsided out there." she wiped at the tears furiously.

"I know." Was all he could manage.

"Why?" She asked in what was barely above a whisper.

"Because the number's never lie." he stated simply. "I know how much you want this, I know that you belong in that office, making a real differences. And I couldn't let you give this up for me." He would never be able to understand how she could just give it all up for him.

"So you masterminded this whole plan?" She asked her voice rising a few notches. "But I didn't want it to be this way." she said after a moment.

"This is the only way." He said stubbornly.

"So what now? We continue to sneak around, tell the public a bunch of secret and lies?"

"If we want to be together yes."

"I didn't want it to be like this anymore, I wanted to stand in the sun with you."

"I know that."

"Yet you went behind my back anyways?"

She wiped her eyes several more times before taking a deep breath and heading back out into the other room where their companions were waiting. He knew this conversation wasn't over. Taking a deep breath he followed her back out.

Draco nodded to Theo as he walked back into the room.

"Like I was saying there are some things that need to be discussed. First and foremost no one outside of this room can know what is really going on here. Is that agreed?" He looked around at all of them who nodded. "Good, Weasley there will be no more sleeping around with any witch who has a pulse. It's time that you stepped up and played the role of a dutiful husband." Ron looked as if he wanted to argue. "Look mate get a girlfriend. I'm not saying you can't have sex. I am saying you can't have sex with everything that moves."

Ron looked like he wanted to argue some more but kept his mouth shut. "You will also need to move you're things back into the London brownstone. We have to keep up appearances." Pansy added to which Theo nodded in agreement.

Theo turned his attention to Draco "You also need to think about getting a girlfriend, be it a fake girlfriend. We need to show the public there is absolutely no truth to the rumors in today's paper's."

Hermione looked a little outraged at this but said nothing. "We have a hard two month ahead of all of us. We have to sell the two of you." Pansy said pointing at Hermione and Ron "As a happy couple that is truly working on their marriage. So that means the both of you have to put some effort into it." Hermione glared dagger's at Pansy.

"Granger I know you aren't happy about this, I don't think anyone in this room is happy about it. This is where we are though, and all three of you have a roll to play." Theo said not unkindly. "I know this isn't going to be easy on any of you, but this is how we get to the end game."

"Hermione go fix your make up we still have a long afternoon ahead of us," Pansy said pointing to the bathroom. "Weasley, tomorrow you should start moving your things back in. Theo is going to make sure that there is a photographer there to get some picture, so make sure you give him a time. We should also schedule a dinner for the two of you this weekend. We need to get you guys back out in public eye."

"Send me an owl with the time and place I will be there." Weasley said before he made his exit.

"Draco we need to get back to the office, and get this kicked off." Theo said. Draco only nodded before turning to Hermione

"I'll see you later?" it was a question, he was unsure of where they stood at the moment.

She nodded solemnly before heading to the restroom. When she was out of ear shot Pansy whispered "Give her some time, she is pissed at all of us right now." He didn't say anything just nodded his head.

Without another word he and Theo followed Weasley out of the small conference room. There was no going back now.

...

"What about Astoria Greengrass?"Blaise asked. He and Theo were currently in Draco's office going over possible girlfriends.

"She's pretty." Theo remarked. "Very much the type of woman you usually go for."

"Yeah and how do you suppose I approach her with this? Hey Astoria want to be my fake girlfriend, I need one because the Wizarding public thinks there might be a chance I am screwing the Minster of Magic. Which I am of course which is why I need a fake girlfriend to prove to them I'm not." he said sarcastically.

"Well I wouldn't word it like that." Theo said. "I am sure we can come up with a better way of approaching the subject."

"Why don't I bring her in on Monday." Blaise said trying be diplomatic.

"Have we gotten this afternoon's number's back? I want to see how her and Weasley reunion are actually polling, not just theoretically." Draco asked trying to change the subject.

"We won't have those until the morning." Theo said "We have already set up several speaking engagements for her over the next two weeks. Our people are getting with Weasley to make sure he is available."

"Ok good." Draco said "We have to get her out there, we need to start taking about the issues we want to take on. Theo I want you to get with Pansy, we should have exploratory committees set in place. Granger has some hefty goals. We need to see how we should go about implementing them," Theo nodded, while jotting down some notes.

"The Goldstein campaign issued a statement to the paper's about Granger's announcement." Blaise said handing Draco the press brief.

 _Mr Goldstein is up for a good fight in the upcoming Minister of Magic race against Incumbent Minster Hermione Granger. When asked about today's news of her reconciliation with husband Ron Weasley he had this to say 'As someone who has known them both for a very long time I am glad to hear the happy news. Here's to hoping they make it work this time around.' And when he was asked about the rumors about the Minister in this morning's paper 'If true, I don't know how she and Weasley will make it work.'_

"So I think we should get Astoria in here tomorrow." Blaise said.

...

It was eight before Draco came through the fireplace. Hermione was already there waiting for him with take out Chinese from their favorite restaurant downtown and a glass of red wine in hand. He dropped his bag and coat in the chair and made his way over to the table where he set down and pulled a container of fired rice closer to himself before digging in.

"How was the rest of your afternoon?" he asked between bites. His question was met with silence. "That good."

"What do you want me to say?" She bit back bitterly.

"Tell me how you are feeling." he said

"Right about now I hate every single person who had hand in what happened today."

"Hermione."

"Don't Hermione me Draco. I am not some sort of puppet that you, Pansy, and Theo can manipulate and I won't be treated as such."

"I know that."

"Do you?"

"Of course I do. This wasn't easy for me either Hermione. I didn't make this decision lightly."

"The fact is you made it without me." she nearly yelled at him.

"Because you wouldn't listen to reason."

He said exasperatedly.

"What has not been clear when I have said over and over again, that I didn't want this if it meant I couldn't have you."

"We are still together."

"In secret, we are still together in secret. While I have to pretend to be happily married to that man. This isn't how I wanted us to be together."

"I know." He reached for her hand, but she pulled away, her anger still seething.

"I am not something that needs to be fixed. I am human being." She didn't say anything else for a long time, she just set there and sipped on her wine. After a long time she set the glass down and stood. "I can't stay tonight, Ron will be at the house at seven to start moving his things in."

He stood wrapping an arm around her waist and pulled her in, "I am sorry." he whispered "I know this isn't what we wanted, but this is the way it has to be, for now at the very least." he leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head and the kiss landed on her cheek before she pulled herself from his arms.

"I left a cell phone on the kitchen counter for you, I will call you when I can," and without another word she gone.

He stared at the spot she had just disappeared from for a long moment. He knew when he made his choice, she wouldn't be happy with it. He just hoped that she would come around to see things the same way the rest of them did. Politics was a dirty game that she often didn't have the stomach for. That was why she had him and Pansy.

As he set back down his thought's drifted back to the first campaign, it was Pansy who had gotten him to agree to sign on to head the campaign.

" _She's brilliant," Pansy said sitting across from him. They were having their weekly lunch at the leaky cauldron._

" _I am not saying she isn't." he said as he took a sip of his wine. "I am just saying that we aren't in a place yet as a Society to elect a muggleborn witch. The war is still fresh in everyone's minds. Thing's haven't changed so much. You and I both know the old men's club still thinks of themselves as better than her."_

" _Which is why we need her." She argued._

" _She will loose, she will be running against Thomas Perkins. He is a senior member of the Ministry who has a lot more political clout than her."_

" _People are ready for change, not just the promise of change. She has the ability to change the world Draco if they just give her the chance."_

 _He thought about what she had just said. Yes people were ready for change. The question was though were they ready for it in the form of 'know it all' muggleborn witch. "Let's say for a moment that I agree to help. If she is elected what do I get out of this." He was a Slytherin after all, nothing was free._

" _Deputy Minister of Magic."_

" _Pansy you of all people know I have no desire the be apart of the Ministry." he laughed._

" _Draco you were breed for greatness. Don't let centuries of good breeding go to waste."_

" _That sounds a lot like pureblood nonsense."_

" _I don't think we are better than her because of our background. I know neither of us can hold a candle to her. All I am saying is you have just as much potential has her."_

" _Fine, I'll do it. But we'll have to talk about this deputy Minster thing. I think we can find me something much better suited."_

" _Fine."_

In the end they had created a position for him. Communications director, and the position had come in very handy when the rumor's started flying about Weasley and his wondering eye. And that was how the Political Fixer was born.

...

The following morning Draco was in his office bright and early, the number's from yesterday's polls where in and they gave him something to smile about. She was already kicking Goldstein's ass. They were off to a good start, they just had to keep their momentum going.

The phone on his desk rang picking it up he heard Millicent's voice on the other end "Miss Greengrass is here to see with."

"Send her in, and get Blaise to come in as well." he said before hanging the phone up.

It took few minutes before Blaise walked in with Astoria right behind him "Sit." He said said to both of them pointing to the two chairs in front of his desk.

"Thank you." She said softly. "Blaise said that you wanted to discus something with me in his letter." Draco took a moment to appraise the young woman sitting in front of him. She had grown into herself. It had been years since he had given her any thought. To him she would always be Daphne's annoying little sister. He could appreciate the elegant young woman she had grown into.

"Yes." he tried gather his thoughts for a few seconds. How did one go about asking something like this? "May I assume you read yesterday's front page of the paper." he asked finally.

"I did." she said hesitantly.

"It might come as a shock to know that even though the Minister denied the accusations they are in deed true." he said bluntly. There was no good way to put it.

"I see."

"As you can imagine, such rumor's can be very damaging to her upcoming campaign."

"I would think so." she said politely.

"Even with a denial, I'm sure you can see the implications of me running her campaign."

"Yes, but I am still not sure what that has to do with me."

"I need a girlfriend." he said rather hurriedly. It was best to just get it out there in the open.

"You need a girlfriend?" She asked

"A fake girlfriend, we have to put out the rumor before it gains to much momentum. The team feels that best way to do that is for me to stating dating."

"You need a fake girlfriend so the Minister of Magic can carry on her affair with you?" she clarified.

"Yes."

"And you brought me in here, to ask me if I will be your fake girlfriend?"

"Yes."

She didn't say anything for a moment she just stared at him. "Why me?" she asked a bit confused

Blaise cleared his throat, "Well we felt that you were best to fit for the role."

"Because I am a pureblood?"

"Among other things. You run in the same circle of friends. The two of you are often seen at the same functions. It wouldn't be a stretch to believe the two of you had hit things off recently and started dating."

"And what exactly does being your fake girlfriend entail?"

"The bottom line, we have to make the press think that I couldn't possible be carrying on an affair with the Minister when I am happily falling in love with someone else."

"I see." she said "and if I say no?"

"We do have ways of making you forget this conversation ever happened." Blaise said as politely as possible.

"And if I say yes?"

"I will compensate you with Gold." Draco said flatly.

"I am not a call girl." She sounded offended. Which if he was being honest she had every right to be.

"I don't think of you as such. I merely want to make sure you a compensated for your time. The next few month's will be one event after another, I will need you by my side at most of them. The least I can do is make sure you are compensated."

She didn't say anything for a moment, and Draco wished the earth would just open up and swallow him whole right about now. This was embarrassing to say the very least. "Ok, I'll do it." she said finally.

"Great, now we are gonna need you to sign a binding nondisclosure." Blaise said wiping out a piece of paper and a pen before handing them to her "I have cast a spell on this parchment, once you sign you will be physically unable to speak a word of this to anyone. And if you were to try...well let's just put it this way it will be best for you if you don't breath a word of this to anyone."

She looked at him for a moment to see if she could tell if he was kidding or not. Draco wasn't sure if she found what she was looking for but she took the paper and pen and signed her name to the bottom all the same.

"Great, seeing as that is taken care of I'll will leave you two to work out the details." Blaise said taking the paper back from her and standing.

When he was gone an awkward silence fell between them. Merlin this was truly the most embarrassing thing he had ever had to do.

"You must really love her to go along with all of this." she said finally.

"None of this was her idea. He said sadly. "If she had had her way, we would either be dodging the press right now, or settling into a quite life somewhere on the country side."

She laughed "well the plan does have the tell tail signs of a Slytherin written all over it." He smiled at this friendly jab.

"Look why don't we have dinner tonight, I know this is a bit awkward sitting here discussing our fake relationship. I can pick you up at eight." He offered.

"Ok," she said standing "I'll see you at eight."

When she was gone Draco picked up the phone on his desk "Millicent can you make a reservation for two at one of the most upscale restaurants in Diagon Alley for tonight?"

...

Dinner with Astoria had gone rather well, Millicent had gotten them a table at Cafe' Bastille, which was a small French restaurant in the heart of Wizarding London. The dinner had done exactly what they had hoped for, the paper's we no longer talking about the rumor's of his affair with Hermione, but about the new budding romance between the Malfoy heir and youngest Greengrass daughter.

He hadn't seen or heard from Hermione since she left his apartment Friday night, and he was on edge. He didn't like the way things had been left between them. He felt like her was loosing her, and it was all his fault.

As Theo had promised there had been a reporter Saturday morning to spot Ron moving his possessions back into the London Brownstone. Photographic evidence was published in Saturday's evening addition of the paper.

Looking at the picture's that accompanied the article made Draco's heart tighten in his chest. He was reminded again of why he had walked away the first time. It had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do, knowing she felt the same way about him as he did her. She didn't belong to him though, and he had no claim to her. He was left wondering if he had done the right thing by setting this whole thing into motion. He silently cursed himself for meeting with Pansy that fateful Monday morning.

He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to his life without Hermione in it. Not after their blissful Christmas holiday. Not after all the plan's they had made, apart of him wished he had allowed her to run away from it all with him. Deep down though he knew she wasn't meant to be mayor of some small town of muggle's. She was meant to do great things for their world.

It was Sunday evening before his fire place light up, and she walked out of it dusting off the soot from her clothes. He had been lounging on the couch with a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. That morning's paper sitting on the small table in front of him. The front page was mostly taken up by a picture of him and Astoria leaving the restaurant hand and hand the night before. He had been staring at all day wondering if she had seen it. And if she had what she thought of it. They hadn't talked about, what a fake girlfriend meant. They hadn't talked about anything. He looked up when she came to rest of the couch beside him.

"Hi." she said softly.

"Hi."

"How was the date?" She asked. He could tell she was trying to be cool and collected, but the note of anger that was present in her tone gave her away.

"It wasn't a date." He replied calmly.

"Wasn't it though?"

"Hermione."

"Look I didn't come here to fight. I just wanted some piece and quite." She leaned into him. He signed contently as he pulled her closer wrapping his arm around her. They sat in silence for a long time, just listening to each other breath. He took in her scent of warm vanilla and honey, revealing in the comfort he felt with her in his arms.

He had no claim over her, and he knew he shouldn't but he loved her. He loved her with every part of his being.

 _Author's note: Sorry it has taken so long to update this story. I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter._


	4. The Other Woman

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

" _We went down in flames last night," Hermione said bitterly to her team as they set in a London muggle coffee shop. Having no real campaign headquarters, they figured muggle London was the best place to meet to keep the opposition from spying on them._

" _We need to swing father left. We haven't said anything about how we plan to take us into the future. Perkins has no real offer of change. We need to attack him on that front." Dean Thomas said._

" _Wrong," everyone in their group looked around to see who had said it. Draco had been sitting in the corner unnoticed by any of them for a long while, just observing the meeting as an outsider. He stood from his table by the window catching their attention. Everyone's head turned to look at him as he made his way over the small group of people._

" _You got your ass handed to you last night in Kenmore because you are unwilling to play by their rules."_

" _What are you doing here?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes._

" _Pansy asked me to come." Draco took joy in the way Hermione turned her glare to Pansy. "Look Granger, I think you have the potential to change the world. You aren't going to do it, by pointing out how you are different from the rest of them though. The whole point of this war we all just lived through was because you shouldn't be considered different than the rest of us."_

" _How do you suppose I go about it then?"_

 _He smirked, "Simply, make them see you are no different than them. You are a witch, not a muggleborn witch, just a witch. You are very bright witch at that. You can see that our system of government is broken. Make them see that you understand our need for change, and then tell them how you are going to do it. Attacking Perkins though is what everyone expects. Believe me, when they see your plan's for our future he will be scrambling to catch up. He is part of the old men's club that think the status quo is just fine. They may have short a memory but the other people in our world do not."_

 _Draco could see Pansy smiling out the corner of his eye. When it was evident Granger had no words Pansy stepped in. "I thought it would be a good idea to bring Draco in. I think we all know that we could use someone like him, and someone with his resources." She said turning to Hermione. "I know you saw the work he did for muggle labor party last year."_

" _Ok," was all Granger could manage._

" _Great! As lovely as this little coffee shop is, I think it would best if we were to move these meeting's to my offices. I can assure privacy, and a little bit more comfort as we come up with ways to turn our world upside down." He smirked at the glare Granger had just sent his way. Oh yes, this was going to be very fun._

"Draco...Draco." He could hear a woman's voice calling his name distantly. He was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of his name. Shaking his head slightly he turned his attention back to the present.

"Sorry, just lost in thought for a moment." he said picking up his glass of wine. He was out to dinner with Astoria. It was their third date in the last week, and the press was eating it up.

"What were you thinking about?" She asked taking a sip from her own glass.

"Nothing important." He replied "Tomorrow evening is the hospital fundraiser. Were you able to clear your schedule to attend with me?"

"Yes, mother understood my need for a raincheck. What time do I need to be ready?"

"I will you fetch around eight."

Tomorrow's fundraiser would be the first time Hermione and Astoria would be in the same room together. Draco was a little nervous about how that would go down. Publicly he knew they would be fine. Hermione wouldn't dare make a scene in front of the camera's, behind closed door's however was different story. Draco hadn't seen Hermione outside of campaign meetings, over the last week which only added to his nervousness. After their second date on Wednesday evening another picture of him and Astoria had been plastered over the front page of the following morning's paper.

He knew Hermione was having a hard time with the idea of him having a girlfriend, even if it was a fake one. This was suppose to be the two of them, not him with some other woman. He was having a hard time with it as well. He felt like he was being unfaithful to her. Making matter's worse, Blaise had been right when he had said Astoria was very much his type. In a different life, a life without Hermione in it, he thought he might have been able to allow himself to like Astoria.

"You are nervous about tomorrow?" Her voice was soft when she asked the question. They were both having a hard time locating the fine line between imaginary and real. The world needed to believe this relationship was real after all.

"No." He lied easily. He might have known her most his life, but she wasn't someone who he felt comfortable exposing his secrets to.

"Draco, you always were a bad lier when it came to your house mates." He looked up at her from his glass and gave her a small smirk.

"A little, I just haven't spoken to her much this week."

"Oh." In their limited time together he had been able to gather Astoria wasn't really comfortable talking about Hermione. He knew this whole situation must be completely bizarre for her, she was handling it with grace all the same.

"I didn't really give her much of a choice in this whole mess." He sounded regretful.

"I take it she is still mad about it?"

"Her silence is speaking volumes." He found it hilarious that silence could indeed be very loud.

"Maybe she just needs more time. I can't imagine, what she must be feeling." Astoria was never one for empathy. So her words perked his attention.

"Do you think what I did was wrong?" He knew the team had felt like this was the best option, when they consider every alternative. What did an outsider think though he wondered.

Astoria didn't say anything at first trying to find the right words "I think it can be really hard for a person, when everyone else thinks they know what is good for them."

Draco didn't say anything but he knew what she was getting at. He had done what most pureblood parents did to their children, he had taken her choice away. The sad thing was, until she had said it he hadn't thought of it that way. Yes he had known he had given her no options, he just hadn't realized this was something his own parents would have done to him had he given them the chance too. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"If you truly want to make this work, you can't let the silence between you take over." She said gently "It might be time you start to gravel a little."

She had a point he knew, he just wasn't ready to admit yet that he might have been wrong.

It was ten o'clock when he walked through his front door. After dinner he had taken Astoria back to her shared flat with Daphne, before walking home. It wasn't far and he needed the time to clear his head. On the walk, memory's from the past floated back to him.

" _You can't be serious?" She said anger evident just under the surface._

" _Oh but I am serious." He smirked, knowing it would only cause her anger to increase._

" _Malfoy you are off your rocker." She bit back at him._

" _Granger, get off your high horse for a just a second and listen to me." She looked as if she wanted to reply with a snarky comment but he held up his hand to stop her. "You want to win over Public opinion, you need to start playing by their rules."_

" _The whole point of me running is because I am not like them."_

" _But to win you have to be like them."_

 _Hermione tossed her hands up, she had a fire about her when she was angry. He had always known this of course, she had been the same way at school. He couldn't deny how much he enjoyed watching her when she was like this and liked to push her button's on purpose. He wondered if he had done it for the same reason's then._

" _Look let's break for the evening and come back at it in the morning." She was trying to get a handle on her anger he could tell._

" _Right, I suppose you do have a husband to get home to." He said mildly interested, it had been three weeks since he had come on to the team, and he had yet to see Weasley._

" _Merlin only knows where that man is, because I am sure as hell he isn't home." There was something in her tone he couldn't put a finger on. And for a moment he thought he saw sadness cross her eyes but it was gone before he could be sure of it._

" _Oh," was all Draco could say in reply. They weren't friends, they had never been friends. Yes things we less hostel than they had been when they had still been at school, he was just unsure of what to say. "I was planning on grabbing a drink at the pub around the corner, would you like to join me?" When all else falls, offer drinking._

 _She hesitated, he could tell she was struggling with what to do. It was true they had survived three weeks of working together without killing one another. It was a very good sign. "Sure," was the word that finally came out._

" _Follow me," was all he said as he headed out of the DMA office's located in Cabot Square._

Again Draco had to shake his head to rid himself of past images. He was certain that was the night he had started to fall for her. She had let him see a side of her, he had suspected she let very few people see, that night. Sitting in that bar, he wondered why in the world Weasley would be anywhere other than right beside his wife. She was utterly amazing.

...

Seeing as there were very few places witches and wizards could gather in large number's in England Draco had offered St. Mungo's the grounds of the manor house, for the fundraiser. The house elf's had truly outdone themselves in the garden he thought as he entered with Astoria on his arm.

Floating light illuminated the night's darkness, fountains of some sort could be seen every few yards, their sound gave the illusion it was possible they were actually seaside instead of in Wiltshire. Table's has been set up all around the garden for tonight's dinner and off to one side he could see the silent auction table, where there were already several guest browsing.

"It's gorgeous Draco," Astoria breathed, as they made their way around the large garden.

"Yes, it is," he whispered back, but he wasn't taking about the garden's. He had just caught sight of Hermione who was already deep in conversation with some of the Head Healer's at St. Mungo's. She was wearing a deep red floor length dress, that had a sweetheart neck line and a plunging v shape in the back. He thought she was breath taking, as if she could feel his eyes on her she turned and found her gaze. She smiled her secret smile she reserved just for him, before turning her attention back to her companion. Pulling his gaze from her, he turned to Astoria who had noticed the moment that had just passed between Draco and Hermione.

"Shall we get something to drink?" He started to steer her towards the bar.

It had been about an hour since their arrival, before Hermione had made her way around to them. Draco had noted that Weasley was no where to be seen, and frowned slightly. It had been agreed upon that he would be here this evening.

"Mr. Malfoy," Hermione greeted warmly. Draco could tell this was all very much a show, had they been a lone he was pretty sure she would have ripped his head off.

"Minister," was his cool greeting in return.

"Miss Greengrass it's nice to finally meet you. Draco has spoken so kindly of you."

"It's nice to meet you Madam Minister." Astoria offered Hermione her hand in greeting, which she took gracefully.

"Minister, I noticed your husband isn't here. I do hope everything is alright?" He was fishing, and had to go about it very carefully, there were too many listening ears all around them.

"Poor man came down with the flu," Hermione replied.

"I could send one of the elves to check on him," Draco offered "Merlin knows I have only survived this long because of their care."

Hermione smiled "No need for that, I sent him home with his mother. No matter how old we get, the need for our mother's when we are ill never goes away."

Draco laughed at this "Well let me know if you change your mind."

"I will." Behind her a small bell rang. Turning she looked over to Pansy who was standing with Theo near the edge of the garden. "I think we better take our seats," she motioned to the tables "I'll see you too later." Turning she made her way over to Pansy, who guided her over to a table near the front.

"Aren't we sitting with them," Astoria pointed to the Minister and her now seated party.

"Heaven's no." Draco replied smoothly. Leading Astoria to another "This is a hospital fundraiser, not a campaign function. I am tonight's host, not campaign manger."

"So why am I here?"

"Because you are my girlfriend, and it would be odd if you weren't." He stated simply as they took their seats.

The evening's event's had gone swimmingly Draco thought as he said farewell to the last of the guest. He noted Hermione had already left with her entourage. When the last guest was gone he turned to Astoria "I should take you home."

"We could stay a little longer. The garden is truly magical tonight." She offered.

There is was something in her tone Draco didn't like. Not being able to put his finger on it he brushed the feeling to the side "I have an early meeting for the campaign, and it's late." His tone suggested he was leaving no room for discussion.

"Right, we should go then."

When they had reached the entrance to the garden Draco took her hand in his. "Thank you for coming tonight. I know you have tried to stay away from high society functions like tonight. I do very much appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure." Was all she said. Without another word they were gone with a loud pop.

...

When Draco returned home he noticed the terrace door was standing a jar. Moving towards it he looked out to see Hermione standing near the edge looking out at the city lights. His heart fluttered in his chest slightly as he pushed the door further open and walked out to join her.

"I've always wondered if the city every sleeps." He said when he was right behind her. He noticed her shoulders relax at the sound of his voice.

"It's doubtful." Was her reply. He moved closer and snuck his arms around her waist, settling his chin on her shoulder. She melted into his arms, this was heaven he thought.

"You looked beautiful tonight." He whispered into her ear.

"So did Astoria." There was no malice in her tone, she was just stating a fact. "It was a very nice event Draco."

"Thank you. I did have a lot of help from mother of course."

"Where was she tonight?"

"With her sister and Teddy." Was his reply. "Where was Weasley?"

"We had gotten into a fight earlier this evening. Pansy thought it would be best if he set this one out."

Snuggling closer to her "What was the fight about?"

"He doesn't want to stay at the brownstone."

Snorting Draco asked "And were does he want to stay?"

"He acquired a flat near Kings Cross. He says as long as he is seen coming and going from the brownstone every day what does it matter where he stay's."

"What does Pansy say?"

"She thinks it's absurd. To many chances someone could spot him going into the flat. It would raise to many questions."

"Well, I think as long as he uses magical means of transportation what does it matter."

Hermione pulled away slightly and looked at him surprised. "I thought you would agree with Pansy."

"Pansy and I are not always a united front Granger. If Pansy had her way you would be at home right now, not standing here with me. Beside we have to give him some level of freedom. He is under no magical binding, keeping him happy is the only thing standing between us and one hell of a scandal."

"Did you magically bind Astoria?" She

wondered aloud.

"I didn't Blaise did. It's just a magically binding contract."

"She's a lovely girl, I had the chance to talk to her while you were busy this evening."

"I've known her most my life. Mother and father use to be good friends with her parents back when...she's defiantly grown into herself." Draco mused. He had trailed off from his train of thought. Hermione had never understood the love he still held for his father. To her somethings were unforgivable.

"She is very much your type."

"That's what Blaise said." He laughed

"Draco." She began "I know that loving you isn't the right thing to do. I know that I have put you in a impossible situation. I would understand if you needed to go your own way again."

"I'm not going anywhere. I made this mess, and I won't leave you to figure it out yourself."

"You deserve to be happy Draco."

"I am happy, standing right here with you. You are all I need." They both knew these statements were half truths. Neither said anything though. He was happy when she was in his arms like she was at this moment. And in a prefect world, she would be the only thing he needed.

...

Five Years Earlier

" _Hermione." Draco said her name while knocking on the closed bathroom door. She had just been told about Weasley's affair. Through the door Draco could hear a sob, something inside himself broke free. He had heard this woman scream in agony before he had found that hard to bare. Her sobs though he found even more difficult. "Hermione please open the door." He had just informed her of her husbands affair with a muggle woman. Her reaction had taken him by surprise, he had been certain she had known about it. Or at the very least suspected._

 _He could hear more sobs, he knew that with a flick of his wand he could be by her side in an instant. He didn't dare try it though, she was in a volatile mood and though they had come pretty far in the last few week, he wasn't sure he would be who she wanted to comfort her. After what felt like an hour, the door opened. Pushing it open a little further, he saw her curled up into a ball on the floor. Slowly he made his way into the room closing the door behind himself._

 _It was Theo who had found this little bit of gossip. When Draco and his team had come on board, he had assigned each member a task. They were to find whatever skeleton's Granger might have lurking in her closest. Draco had always felt it was best to hold all of the pieces. That way, when the day came you weren't blindsided. It seemed though, Hermione had been blindsided._

" _Can I sit with you?" When she didn't reply he took his chances by dropping to the floor and laying next to her._

" _How long?" She croaked._

" _Theo's best guess, a few month's."_

" _The bastard." Was all she could manage more sobs surfaced._

" _I need you to tell me how to proceed. As of yet the newspapers haven't caught wind of it. It's a matter of time though."_

" _Can you fix my broken marriage?" the utter sadness in her tone jabbed at him._

" _Only you and him can fix that I am afraid. That is a little out of my wheel house, but I can make the problem go away."_

" _Make it go away?"_

" _I find that most women can be bought off. You just have to know what they want first."_

 _She didn't say anything to this. Had she been in a better state, he knew she would have berated him for saying such a thing. He had never been a fan of Ron Weasley, and in this moment he thought if given the chance he could do some real damage to the wizards face. He didn't understand how someone as lucky as that Weasel, could toss his marriage aside for a little fling. Granger would be the best thing that ever_

 _happened to him._

" _Who knows about this?" The sobs had stopped and the level head was returning._

" _Just Theo, myself, and you."_

" _I would like to keep it that way. I don't think I could bare the embarrassment if anyone else knew."_

" _You could leave him." he told her._

 _She looked a little taken back at this. "When I said forever and always I meant it."_

" _Somethings aren't forgivable." Was all he said._

" _Please Draco, not a word to anyone."_

" _Granger I won't say anything I promise."_

 _Draco still didn't understand why he had gone after her that day. He could have easily called for Pansy. He had been drawn to her though even then. Walking into the coffee shop that day had changed the course his life would take. Would it all be worth it in the end?_

Authors note: I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. What do you guys think of the flash back's?


	5. Spies Like Us

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

"Ms Granger, you have said in recent statement's that it is your vision for children to be able to attend a pre-Hogwarts school. How would you go about making this a reality?" They we're currently in week four of the two month battle for Minister of Magic. Draco had arranged for Hermione to sit down for an interview with the Wizarding wireless, it was her first since she had announced her bid for re-election.

Hermione smiles at Parvati who was the one chosen to interview her. "As many of you know, after the war many death eater were forced to pay restitution for their crimes against the magical world. Even after the coast of rebuilding what had been lost we still have a large sum of money sitting in the Ministry of Magic coffers. It is our teams plan to put that money towards the coast of the new school." The team had spent the last week going over every detail of the file that had been put together, on the subject and it's feasibility.

"Why a school?" Parvati asked.

"Why not a school?" Was Hermione's response. "The magical world is behind the times. More than fifty percent of women in our world don't enter the work force, and if they do it's only for a short time, where as more and more women in the muggle world enter their workforce every year. Once a woman marries and has children she is stuck in the home until those children are ready for Hogwarts in our world. This school for pre-Hogwarts education would allow women to get back into the workforce if they so choose to." Draco smiled at the look of surprise on the other witch's face when given the statistics. It seemed she found them as startling as Draco had when he had first heard the figures.

"What kind of education can the parent's expect from this pre-Hogwarts school?"

"Reading and writing, math, early potions, and astronomy. The fundamental skills all children need."

"From the sounds of it, a school could be very beneficial to our world. What about your idea's of a government overhaul, we have been hearing about?"

"The average witch or wizard often feels left out, when it comes to the important issues. Often seats on the high Wizarding court are passed down through family's, which more often than not doesn't leave much room for change. My proposal is to change that, by requiring the member's of the Wizengamot to be elected by the people. The same would go for the Head's of departments. All to often a qualified member of the Ministry is over looked, because of his social standing. The Ministry is making choices for the average witch or wizard, I think it's time everyone's voice is heard. The Minister of Magic is an elected position, so why shouldn't every position of power in our world"

The smile on Draco's face was wide and proud. She had nailed the answer. Though this information was nothing new, seeing as it had been reported almost everyday in some form or another over the last four weeks. It was the first time most of Wizarding Britain was hearing it straight from her mouth though with no other opinion accompanying the information.

"Can we turn to a more personal subject?" Parvati asked, when Hermione nodded she continued. "We have seen a lot of report's in the last few years on the state of your marriage. Several report's of infidelity on your husband Ron Weasley's part, and more recently a report of one of your own with Draco Malfoy." Draco had to hold in his growl. Though they had known these questions would be asked when they agreed to the interview, they still wrestled his feathers.

"As you know Parvati from sharing a dorm with me for seven years, I am very private person. Being thrusted into the spot light after the war, and then more so since I have become Minister has been challenging to say the very least. That being said I understand the public's need for transparency. My husband and I have had our issues, as all couples do in the course of their marriage. No one is prefect and no relationship is either. Ron and I are working very hard to make ours work. We still believe in the vows we said to each on the day we got married, and we are trying to up hold them the best way we can." Draco let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding. No one could spin words quite as well as Hermione could.

"And the rumor's about an affair between you and Draco Malfoy who was head of your last campaign and again this time around?"

"Are hurtful, not only to me and to my husband but also to Mr. Malfoy. Anyone who knew us back in school, may find this hard to believe, but we have become rather good friends over the last few years. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for him." She met Draco's gaze and gave him her secret smile. "He has worked hard for the reputation he now has. For someone to villainies him now is wrong. He has no guilt when comes to the troubles in my marriage."

"Well Madam Minister I am afraid our time is up, thank you so much for taking time out of what I am sure is very busy schedule to sit down with me today."

"It was my pleasure Parvati."

"Thank you listener's for tuning in for this evening's addition of the scoop."

A few moments later, the red light on the wall turned off indicating they were indeed off the air. Draco and Pansy made their way over to Hermione who was still chatting quietly with Parvati.

"Hermione we need to get going, we still have the cabinet meeting back at the ministry." Pansy spoke.

"Thank you, Parvati for going easy one me." Hermione joked as she stood from her seat.

"It's always my pleasure Minister." the witch said with a smile. "We must get together soon for drinks or coffee."

"Yes, I'll have Daisy my assistant call you to schedule it."

"Sounds good."

...

After the interview, seeing as he no longer worked at the Ministry his presence wasn't needed, leaving her and Pansy once they were back in London for his own office. He took the time to catch up some of the other cases the office was dealing with, the campaign was taking up most of his time so he was relying on his team to pick up the slack. He still liked to know what is going on though and had taken the time to get caught up.

9:30 found Draco sitting at the kitchen island reading that evening's paper, the fire place roared to life behind him. Turning on his stool he saw Hermione emerge from the fireplace. Kicking her shoes off she dropped her coat and bag on the chair in the sitting room before making her way over to where he sat in the kitchen.

"How was the meeting?" Was his question after she perched herself on the stool next to his.

"Long and boring."

"And to think you were ready to give all that up," he said teasingly.

"Your humor does not amuse me Mr. Malfoy." She said dryly but he could see she was trying to keep herself from smiling.

"All joking aside, you did marvelous in the interview this evening." He gave her is own secret smile.

"You don't think I sounded to rehearsed?"

"Merlin no. I think when we read tomorrow's paper's they will be singing your praises."

Hermione made a noncommittal noise in response before changing the subject. "I ran into Daphne at the Ministry today."

"What was she doing there?" Daphne Greengrass had never worked a day in her life.

"She had come by to have lunch with Terry." Terry Boot and Daphne had married the year before in what could only be described as very lavish ceremony, it had surprised many people when the news had broke of their impending nuptials.

"I forgot he worked in the Department of Magical Transportation." Draco said thoughtfully.

"He is thinking of running for head of department if we are able to get the overhaul pushed through."

Draco laughed at this, "That man doesn't need to be head of anything, but you were talking about Daphne."

"She was going on and on about you and Astoria." She said evenly, her words though still made Draco tense.

"She signed a magically binding contract, she isn't allowed to breath a word to anyone, not even her sister."

Hermione ignored this and went on "According to Daphne this is a dream come true for Astoria. She has always had a thing for you from what her sister said. I think she mention that at one point your parents had thought about drawing up a betrothal agreement."

"Hermione."

"Please don't Hermione me, did you know all of this when you asked her to do this?"

"Yes, I knew when we were kids she had a crush on me. That was years ago though and I thought it was long in the past. I hadn't seen her in years before Blaise asked her to that meeting."

"And the betrothal agreement?"

Draco snorted at this "Of course my parents had thought about it, as you well know it is not uncommon for pureblood relationships to be arraigned, and at the time such an agreement with the Greengrass's was very appealing to my father. Ultimately though my mother convinced my father our society was well past the days of arranged marriage's. It's was never discussed again." He looked at her seriously "Are you jealous of Astoria?"

"Jealous? Of course I am jealous Draco. What is happening right now isn't how I envisioned running when we started talking about it back in November. She is the one who is seen with you out in public, while we continue to hide the true nature of our relationship. How could I not be jealous?"

"You are the one I am in love with, not Astoria."

"She is falling for you Draco, we have caught up another innocent victim in our tangled web of lies. How is that far?"

"Astoria is a big girl. She knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to this charade."

"We of all people know sometimes we can't help how we feel. If given the choice would you have fall in love with me?" When he didn't say anything she had her answer. "I know me being in your life has only piled on the headache's, I am not an easy person to love. I know that, and Ron is happy to remind me of it often in case I were to forget. You though, how could anyone not fall in love with you when given the chance to know you."

"I came back didn't I? If I could change anything, it would be getting to you before Ron Weasley. I didn't ask to love you, nor did I ask you to love me. The fact of the matter is that I do love you." He dragged his hand over his tired eyes. He was to exhausted to fight with her. "It's late, come to bed with me. I think we could both use a good nights sleep." He stood offering her his hand. She looked up into his eyes searching for something, for what he wasn't sure. After a few moments she took his offered hand and allowed him to lead her to his bedroom.

...

Draco had been right in saying the paper would be singing Hermione's name in praise the following morning. The morning's polling number's also showed Hermione had increased her lead over Goldstein.

These good things did not improve Draco's mood however. Hermione had not changed her mind in the light of morning where Astoria concerned. Draco knew the only reason Hermione did not come out and ask Draco to break things off directly was because the rumor's were still fresh on the surface after her interview the pervious night. A break up between himself and Astoria would only keep those rumors from simmering down again.

When they had parted ways that morning they were once again walking on eggshells around each other. It was mid morning when Draco finally took his anger with Hermione out on the telephone on his desk, after it failed to connect him to Blaise's office down the hall.

After a few moments Blaise and Theo came into his office to see what all the commotion was about, only to find Draco's temper was seething, and the desk phone smashed into pieces. Both looking at one another they sighed before closing the door behind them.

"What could possibly have you in this mood, it's not even noon yet." Blaise asked taking one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Nothing." Draco said in a growl that could've been mistaken for a bark.

"Come on mate, what could the phone have possible done to offend you so." Theo wanted to laugh but kept the temptation at bay, figuring Draco's temper wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Daphne Greengrass and her big mouth." Was all he could manage to say.

Theo looked over to Blaise to see if the other wizard knew what Daphne had to do with anything. Blaise shrugged.

"Sorry mate, we don't follow." Theo said

"Daphne putting all sorts of things in Hermione's head." Understanding finally dawned on both of their faces.

"In Daphne's defense, she doesn't know about the whole arrangement. Astoria isn't able to tell her, besides I am sure Astoria is just playing her roll well." Blaise said evenly. Theo looked thoughtful though.

"Are you starting to finally see it?" Theo asked.

"Astoria's feelings for me are in the past." Draco said firmly. Theo gave him a sharp look as if to say Draco was being delusional.

"I'm not talking about Astoria and her feelings." Theo said curtly.

"Then what are you taking about it?"

"Your one mistake, that has lead us all here."

"Nott if you don't stop talking in riddles so help me Merlin I will come across this desk." Draco's patients was waning.

"You let Pansy get in your head, that was mistake number one. Hermione will never truly be your's, not for the next four year at the very least if she wins. Pansy convinced you that Hermione's desire to remain Minister was greater than her desire for you. Which of course isn't true. I think apart of you knows that, but you feel you don't deserve someone like Hermione. Your past is spotted with bad decisions, and because of it you don't feel like you deserve to be happy. Pansy's desire is power, and she thinks the only way she can keep her power is by keeping Hermione in the Minister's office. You were just a pawn she used to keep her power, and you let her." Draco didn't say anything to this revolution. "You will never be happy with the status quo as it is. Neither will Hermione, not when the two of you are being torn apart from every side."

Millicent popped her head into the office "Draco, Astoria is here to see you. Would you like me tell her you are busy, and you will call her later?"

"No, send her back, Theo and Blaise we just leaving." The two wizards stood and took the hint the conversation was now over.

"Draco you need to think long and hard about what it is that you want." Theo said when he reached the door. "I haven't seen you like this in ages, it's not healthy." When Draco refused to respond Theo shook his head in exasperation before walking out the door.

It took a few minutes before Astoria walked into the office. Closing the door behind her. She moved over to the seat Blaise had vacated just a few moments before. "I think I owe you an apology." She said in almost a whisper. "I know Daphne ran into Hermione."

"It's fine." Draco said his tone was brisk.

"I don't want to cause any problems between you and Hermione. It's I just I can't tell Daphne the truth, and we'll you know how she can be."

Draco held up his hand to stop her from going on. "I told Hermione as much."

"And She was ok, with the explanation?" He could tell by her tone that she wasn't convinced.

"She will be." He didn't try to out right lie to her, she always did seem to know when he was telling a lie. "I am sorry that I allowed you to be dragged into this whole mess..."

It was her turn to stop him. "Draco I knew what I was signing up for when I agreed. I know how you feel about her, I can see it when you look at her. She is lucky woman." Again there was something in her tone that he couldn't put a finger on. Regret? A touch of sadness? Maybe Hermione had been right, maybe Astoria's feelings for him were not in the past. This thought only caused his chest to tighten, it had been unfair to ask this of her if that was case. "Can I take you to lunch as a way of making it up to you?"

He regarded her carefully, he could see her eagerness for him say yes. He smile sadly at her "Not today, I am afraid I have to much work to catch up on. Besides I don't want to take my bad temper out on you. Not when it's not your fault."

Her face fell slightly, only confirming his suspicions. "Ok. I guess I will see you tomorrow evening then."

"Blaise will be by to fetch around seven."

"Ok." Without another word she stood and let herself out of the office. When she was gone Draco leaned back in his chair and dragged his hand down over his face. What a mess this all was he thought bitterly.

It was well past seven when Draco decided it was time to call it a day. Gathering the papers scattered around the desk, he started to organize them into neat piles according to the urgency they needed.

He looked up to the door when he heard thunderous foot steps. Blaise burst into the office agitated and out of breath a second later. "We...have a...problem." He said trying to catch his breath.

"Is it Weasley?"

"No, it's Hermione." Blaise handed him a press release.

Draco scanned the page quickly before looking back up to meet Blaise's gaze "Abuse and wrongful imprisonments of a reporter."

"This is just a courtesy from Parvati. She caught wind of the article and sent this to us so we weren't blind sided. They will run the story in the morning's paper. We won't be able to stop it."

"How the hell is this coming out now?"

"I don't know mate."

"Draft a statement, and get a quote from Hermione and Potter."

"Do you think this will be a big deal?" Blaise asked concern in his tone.

"It's three weeks before the election, of course this going to be a big deal." Draco's temper flared. Just when he thought the day couldn't possible get any worse. Picking up his cell phone Draco punched the number three speed dial. It rang three times before the person on the other end picked up. "Theo we have a problem. I need you get back to the office and bring Pansy with you." He didn't give Theo time to respond before hanging up.

"I'll get Potter on the phone," Blaise said aloud moving over to window and taking out his own phone.

Draco dragged his hand through his hair, picking up his phone again and punched the number one speed dial. It rang once "Hermione I need you to come to DMA, the paper's are running a damaging article in the morning." He didn't hang up immediately like he had with Theo. He gave her time to respond "It's about Rita Skeeter, and the jar."

...

The following morning the phone's were ringing off the hook at the DMA office, all of the news organizations were looking for a quote on that morning's front page Daily Prophet article. The polls that had come in just after lunch showed Hermione barely holding on to her lead over Goldstein. The preferable shit had hit the fan.

At long last, the fact that Hermione Granger had kept Rita Skeeter in a jar in her beadle form had leaked for all the world to see. Reporter's were up in arms, at the miss use of power. Everyone failed to remember that at the time Hermione Granger was only fourteen, and that Skeeter had very much earned this punishment for all the lies she had printed about Hermione and Harry that year. Everyone's golden girl had done something bad. All of Hermione's enemies were coming out of the wood work proclaiming they had known all along Granger was sadistic witch.

It had gotten so bad at the office Draco braved going into the Ministry to see what damage control he could do there. The moment he walked out of the fireplace in the atrium he was bombarded with reporters shouting questions at him.

" _Mr. Malfoy, How long have you known about this?"_

" _Do you think she should be let off the hook for this one?"_

" _What does it say about the Minister that she would hold someone hostage against their will?"_

Finally Draco stopped in his track's and turned to glare at the reports who had been following him to the lift's "I am only going to say this once so you better start listening closely. Rita Skeeter was a sorry excuse of a reporter, who went to great lengths to get a story wether they were true or not. We are talking about something that took place fifteen years ago when Hermione Granger was a teenager. The actions she took, were because Rita Skeeter had printed a slue of falsehoods about Hermione and Harry Potter. Rita has done anything and everything to get a story, never bothering to check her facts. I should know, I myself feed her lies that she then printed without confirming her source. Besides the fact she broke the law in the process by being an unregistered animagus. Hermione Granger bested Skeeter at her own game." And without another word turned on his heels and continued to the lifts. Getting in he punched the level one button and glared at anyone who dared look at him.

Yesterday's foul mood had carried over into that morning, they had been so close to getting to the end without something like this happening. So help him Merlin if he ever found out who had leaked this story.

When the lift finally arrived to level one he marched straight to Pansy's office that was located to the far side, without bothering to knock he pushed the door open to find Theo already there. They both looked up at him at the sound of the door being wrenched open.

"I want to know who leaked this story." Draco said seething, he was at his wits end.

"We are working on it mate." Theo said trying to calm Draco down.

"Who is this reporter Penelope Clearwater?"

"She is new at the Daily Prophet, we don't have much on her. She went to school with us but graduated several years before." It was Pansy's turn to try and sooth him.

"We need to get Sarah Bishop on the phone, she needs to explain to me why she didn't give us a heads about this article herself." Draco said referring to the current editor of the Prophet. He and Sarah had a pleasant working relationship till this point. "And you tell her all bets are off, I was her friend now she can count me as an advisory."

"I'll make the call," Theo said walking to the door and letting himself out.

"Draco, we are all pissed." Pansy moved around her desk and motioned for him to sit, he ignored her "We knew something like this was going to happen, we just have deal with it. She is still ahead in the polls."

"She is barely ahead in the polls. Did you see Goldstein's comment to the prophet? He knew this article was going to run. What till I get a hold of Padma Patil."

"Do you think that is how Parvati knew about the article and was able to give you a heads up?"

"Of course it is, Parvati was never really friends with Granger in school, she was too close to that Brown bimbo. However since leaving school, and Hermione took office she has been one of her champions in the press. Besides, she is down to sabotage her sister since McLagan left her for Padma."

"We will fix this, we always do."

"We have better fix this, or it will have all been..." he didn't finish his thought. Pansy knew what he had been about to say, but didn't push it. Yes they would fix this, because Hermione Granger deserved to be Minister.

Author's note: hoped you have enjoyed this chapter, leave a comment.


	6. Baby Made a Mess

_Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

Sarah Bishop had proven that the protection of unnamed source was absolute when she denied Draco the name of the person who had leaked the story to the Prophet. The days that followed the release of the article were some of the toughest days they had seen in either campaign. Even a week out from the election Hermione was barely holding on to her lead in the polls. All of her success in the last four years seemed to mean very little to almost half of their world.

The tension they were both feeling from the campaign trail did nothing to help what was going on behind closed when they were a lone. Draco had began to resent Hermione, and Theo's words did nothing to help. ' _She will never truly be your's.'_ Those words kept playing over and over in his head. His friend had been right, she would never truly be his. And the only person he had to blame for that was himself, and Pansy.

For weeks Hermione had told him time and again that she didn't want to be Minister if she couldn't have him. She had made it very clear that he was her end game. She was done being what everyone wanted her to be, she had been ready to let it all go for him, and he had not allowed it. He wanted her, he wanted her with every fiber of his being, but not at the coast he knew he would have to pay. He had always been selfish, it was his one great flaw.

With one week till the elections left, the Ministry was holding their annual remembrance ball at the upscale Hotel Astor that had popped up in diagon alley in the years following the end of the war. It was a who's who's extravaganza. The campaign had rented out the top floor of the hotel for the nights event.

Locked away in one of the rooms Hermione and Draco were having another fight, which was all they seemed to do anymore. When they were together they seemed only to exist in near total silence or screaming at one another. He wasn't even sure what had sparked this fight, but it quickly took a turn for the worse and they had both already said things he knew they would never be able to take back.

"Did you ever stop to thinking about what coming clean to the press would mean for me." he yelled at her. Their fight had come full circle.

"What are you taking about?"

"You own me, you control me. I can't breath with out you. I wait for you I watch for you, your happiness is my happiness. I exists for you. But I didn't just do this for you so you could have another four years. I did this for me too."

"So you weren't being completely selfless when you master minded this idiotic ruse?"

"I am the son of a death eater Granger or have you forgotten that?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten that?"

"I did this for me too, what do you think the headlines would have read. 'Minister finds true love after divorce'? Don't be naïve, my name would have been dragged through the mud because this isn't some great love story where the knight in shining armor gets the girl at long last. This would be the story of how a Death Eater broke up a happy marriage. Everything I have worked for in the last ten years would have been for nothing. I'm not the guy who gets the girl at the end of the story, I would be the villain in all of this. Don't you see that? I did this so I could still walk out into public and be able to hold my head up some semblance of pride."

She looked wounded, as the tears slipped down her cheeks "Merlin Draco don't you get it? You own me, you control me everything I do is for you. I am sorry that loving you isn't the right thing to do. I'm sorry I made you fall in love with me, I am sorry that all I wanted for us was to be happy and together standing in the sun. Draco you aren't the victim in all this. We are in this together. I just wish that you would see that."

"I want to stand in the sun with you, you know I do." he said softly.

"I'm not really sure you do." she said picking up her clutch and heading for the door. She was gone without another word.

What he wouldn't give to be able to go back to their Christmas holiday when it was just the two of them. But what he had said to her was true, he wasn't the good guy in all of this. He knew he wasn't the victim either, he knew that they were in this together but right now he felt truly alone. Was all of this even worth it?

Getting himself together he pulled on his coat, and took one last look in the mirror before heading to the door.

He made his way down to the lift where he was met by a waiting Astoria who looked regal in her navy blue gown. "I just saw Hermione." she said softly. "Did you to have another fight?"

"I don't want to talk about it." he said as the lift doors open and they walked in. When the doors closed she turned to him.

"Look Draco I know I am not here to give you advice. I know I am merely ornamental, so the press doesn't think you you are carrying on some sort of affair with the Minister. But can I give you some advice." When he didn't say anything she went on "you have a pile of secret and lies and are calling it love. While you let your whole life pass by, while they are building a life together, celebrating anniversary's and growing old together. You are frozen in time a statue waiting for something that might never truly be your's. You are living for stolen moments that you tell yourself will add up to something. Because they have to, because you have risked so much, given so much of yourself. But stolen moments don't add up to a life. You will have nothing if you keep going down this path, you'll have no one."

The doors opened again and they were bombard with flashes from photographer's camera's he slide his arm around her waist as they walked out of the lift. He put a smile on his face trying to push her words out of his mind. She was right he knew, she was just wrong about one thing. This was all of his own design.

The party was in full swing by the time he found Pansy at the bar nursing a tumbler of Fire Whiskey. Astoria had drifted off to mingle with her sister and some of their friends. Granger was off with Weasley mingling with some of the Ministry's head officials. If she was re-elected at the end of the week she would need their support for the government overhaul and right now most of them were not happy with her.

"I can see things aren't getting any better." Pansy said as he slid in next to her. He got the bartender's attention and motioned to Pansy's drink.

"I never thought any of this would be easy."

"But you didn't think it would be this hard?" he didn't say anything. The bartender set his drink in front of him which he acknowledged with a nod. "Can you at least try not to fight with her before she has to walk into a room full of people?"

"Sure."

"I know you, you are sitting over there in a pool of pity and self doubt. Asking yourself if it is all worth it?" She said turning so she was now looking him in the eye. "The answer is no it isn't worth it. What you are feeling right now, this hopelessness, it's not going to change." He didn't say anything as he let his eyes wonder until they found her. "Some people aren't meant to be happy. Some people are just meant to be great. Potter got us through the war. She is putting us all back together. She doesn't get to be happy."

"I don't believe that." he said

"If that was true, you would have let her tell the world about you. You didn't though, because you know I am right."

"I was being selfish. I didn't want to give up what I had worked for."

"No dear boy, you were being smart. There are the Hermione Granger's of the world and then there is us. The people who get them to where they need to be. We make the difficult decisions so they don't have too. So they don't blunder it all to hell when they follow their heart."

"Why does it hurt so bad?" He asked as he took a sip before staring into the amber liquid as if it held all the answers he was looking for.

"No one said the right choices were easy, they are hard. My advice, at the end of the week when she is re-elected because she is going to be re-elected, walk away. Take a holiday put some distance between you and her. Neither one of you will survive another four years of this. Time and distance will make it easier to come to terms with it all."

"This is your fault you know that right?" He said setting his glass down. "You dragged me back into all of this, I had walked away. I was being the bigger person, the better man. I had given her up, and then you called me for some freaking favor that she didn't even want. You knew I would swoop in and save the day. You knew I wouldn't allow her to give it up, not for me."

"She wouldn't have gotten here without you." she said setting her own down as well. "Look you can hate me, you can blame me. You can do whatever makes you feel better. But I didn't tell you to fall in love with her, you did that all on your own. So that feeling in the pit of your stomach that is on you." Picking up her glass again she turning and walked away.

When she was gone he turned back to the bar and motioned for another drink, he was going to needed it to get through the night. He could see Astoria from the corner of his eye. He watched her as she chatted with some of her friends. The force of the guilt he felt nearly knocked the wind right out of him. Hermione had been right about Astoria's feeling for him, he could see that now. She was putting on a brave face but he could see what this whole ordeal was doing to her. He hated

himself for it.

Time and distance, started to whirl around in his head, he had tried time and distance once before, be it not much distance he had tried it though. It hadn't worked well for him, they still had run in the same circles. He would see her from time to time, and her picture was in the paper every other day. He had told himself then, that he had done the right thing, he had become her weakness, and would not allow her to have any weakness. He couldn't help himself though when Pansy had called that Monday morning. He knew before he ever met her in the park, a favor was going to be asked of him and that favor was going to be for Hermione. His need to save her was unparalleled. He hadn't saved her though, he had only made sure that she was still trapped. He wasn't her night in shining armor.

Weasley caught his eye, the two men locked eyes for a moment before he looked away. Some days Draco really wished he could wipe the smug look of the man's face. Draco blamed Weasley for most of his problem's with Hermione as well. If Weasley had been a good husband, a good man Hermione would have never strayed. She was loyal to a fault, he could have gone on loving her in peace if she never returned his feelings he thought bitterly. He would have found away to move on, but how do you move on when you know the person you desire most feels the same way.

Blaise straddled up to the bar pulling Draco out of his self pity. "Goldstein hasn't shown up yet. What do you think that means?"

"The wanker thinks being late is a fashion choice." He said dryly.

"You look like a total mess." His friend remarked. "Are you two fighting again?"

"I don't want to talk about it mate. I am done talking about it this evening. I want to sit here and I want to enjoy my drink."

"Fine."

After awhile he spoke again. "On Monday I want you to come by my flat. I want to discuss something with you, but I don't want anyone to over hear it."

Blaise looked confused but agreed all the same. "You know Pansy offered Theo you're old job?"

"I thought she might. Do you know what he decided?"

"No, I think he is a little torn. He wants to be loyal to you, but the offer is something that is really hard to pass up."

"Yeah, well it was a really hard position to leave."

"For many reasons." Blaise said thoughtfully before something caught his eye, he made a hurried excuse before taking his leave.

Draco was once again alone, he had a decision to make, one that no one could make for him. How did someone face the prospect of breaking their own heart.

...

Monday evening Blaise had shown up as promised to Draco's London flat, both men were sitting on the terrace as the sun started to set. He had poured them both a healthy measure of whiskey before sitting the Italian wizard down.

"I am going to leave for awhile." Draco finally found the courage to say out loud. Something he hadn't been able to do till

that moment.

"What?" The shock of this revelation was very clear on Blaise's face.

"I need to put some distance between her and I. Theo was right when he told me she would never truly be mine, that I had made sure of that."

"So you are running away? Do you know what this is going to do to her? What this is going to do to you? I know what it was like for you the last time you thought walking away was a good idea."

"We can't go on like this Blaise. We have fought with each other more in the last several weeks, than I thought was even possible. What are we holding on to? I love her, I will always love her, but this feeling..."

"What about the firm?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you." Draco raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. "I want you to take over while I am gone."

"And how long will that be?"

"However long it takes."

"You will never truly be over her, I can see the way you look at her. You don't just get over a love like that."

"I know mate."

...

The next week flew by, the days seemed to blur together. One speaking engagement after another, they had quite literally made their way around the United Kingdom. All that hard work was about to pay off because it was finally election day and it had become pretty clear Hermione Granger would be re-elected as Minister of Magic.

Draco didn't know if he was elated or disappointed by this fact. A small part of him had hoped that maybe Goldstein would pull off a victory. That he and her would be able to slip away from it all. She was Hermione Granger though, and no one kept Hermione Granger down.

Pansy had given him a lot to think about over the last week. She had been right she when she said that feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't going to go away. The thought of continuing to feel this way for the next four years was just as painful as the thought of being without her. Pansy was right though, some people were meant to be great, and Hermione Granger was one of them.

It was seven o'clock and the polls had just closed, the election was about to be called. The entire team had been camped out on level one of the Ministry all afternoon, watching as the votes trickled in.

He could see Granger in conversation off to the side with Weasley and Potter, as he watched her he could feel the tightness expand in his chest. He knew what he had to do, but it didn't make the choice any easier. He was about to break both their hearts.

"Are you going to tell her?" he heard someone say. He turned to see Theo standing there.

"No, I think it might be best if I just go."

"Are you afraid she will get you to stay?"

"I don't think I could bare to see the look on her face. This is for the best, for both of us. A clean break."

"Where are you going to go?" He asked.

"I was thinking about New York."

"The Big Apple."

"I figured I could get lost for awhile."

"And the business?" Theo asked.

"Blaise can handle thing's on his own for awhile. I know Pansy asked you to fill the position I vacated a year ago. You should take it, they are going to need you."

"How long do think you'll be gone?"

"I don't know mate, however long it takes to heal."

"And if you can't, then what?"

"I don't know."

Everyone started cheering around them, and he could see Hermione making her way to the center of the room. "If you are going to go, I'd go now." Theo leaned over and whispered to him. "It will make it easier." Draco nodded.

He met Hermione's gaze, she was wearing a radiant smile that reached her eyes. He knew that she might not forgive him for this. He wasn't sure he would ever forgive himself for it. This was the way it had to be though. Tearing his gaze from her, he turned and made his way towards the lift. With every step he took, it became harder to keep moving but he knew he couldn't turn back now. He had made his choice, even if it was the hardest one he had ever had to make.

...

He had been ready to go for two days. He had made one excuse after another to avoid Hermione outside campaign engagements over the last week. He had known if he spent time alone with her he would change his mind. Even if all they did was fight when they were together. Her pull over him was powerful.

He had one stop to make before he left though, he owed it to Astoria to explain. After leaving the ministry he started walking in the direction of her small flat. He had made a mess of so many things, he couldn't leave without telling her goodbye.

By the time he had reached her flat snow had started to fall, and when he reached her building he had a hard time brushing it all off. Silently he made his way into the small building and climbed the two flights of stairs to reach her front door. He knocked twice before stepping back and waiting.

It took a few minutes before she answered, surprise clearly evident on her face. "Draco what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?"

Still confused she moved to the side to let him in. "I thought you would be celebrating with the rest of them."

He smiled sadly "No."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to tell you myself." He stoped and took in her pretty form. "I am leaving for awhile."

"Oh."

"It's something I need to do for myself."

"You are leaving her." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

They were silent for a long time before she finally broke it. "Take me with you."

"Astoria."

"Take me with you Draco."

He wanted to say no, that taking her with him would only be another unkindness. He wanted to tell her that he needed this time alone, he wanted to say a lot of thing he just couldn't seem to find the words for.

 _Author's Note: Thank you guys for sticking with this story! I hope everyone is enjoying it so far, please leave a comment!_


	7. The Simple Favor

**The Simple Favor**

 _Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

Draco could feel the sun beating down on his now slightly tanned skin as he walked down one of the street that was considered old town hand and hand with Astoria. It had been six months since the Minister elections in England, and they found themselves on a little island that was nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Golf of Mexico.

When they had first left England they had traveled to the Big Apple like he had told Theo he would, they had gotten lost in the city but soon came to realize that New York was to similar to what they had just left behind. When they had ventured into the Wizarding world in New York he found himself searching the face of every dark haired witch he came across. It was not uncommon for the Minister of Magic to travel to America for business. Draco realized that coming to New York had not been the distance he needed, he was surrounds by things that were all to familiar to allow the distance to be of any true help.

Three weeks after arriving they had set out again, this time for an island that many could describe as the end's of the earth. Key West had the small town charm so many sought when they wanted to escape. After the arrival they had been able to secure a small small cottage off Whitehead street. Because there was no Wizarding community on the island Draco found it easier to let go of the things tying him to London. They were truly in a world all of their own cut off from what was going on back in London.

He was still in contact with Blaise and Theo, they were his oldest friends after all. Blaise kept him up to date on the goings on at the office, and how his mother was fairing in Draco's absents. Theo mainly wanted to know know how Draco himself was doing, and was very careful not to talk about Hermione or the ministry in his letters. For this Draco was grateful for, he wasn't sure if he could bare to hear news of Hermione and what his leaving had done to her. His desire to know was to too great, and if he did know he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from running back.

Draco still struggled with the fact he had allowed Astoria to come with him. He had made it very clear before they left he would never be able to give her what she truly sought from him. She had brushed this aside of course and damned that he take her with him. At first it had been hard not to seek comfort from her, even though he knew, just like he couldn't give her what she wanted or needed, he knew she couldn't be who he wanted her to be. As the weeks dragged on though he had allowed her to keep him warm at night, he was a man after all, and she was all to willing to allow him to take his comfort.

It was a sunny Sunday at the end of August, and they had been wondering the streets for several hours enjoying the comfort of each other's company. "I was thinking we could have dinner at Chico's this evening. I have been craving Mexican." She said as they turned down Caroline Street making their way back up to Duval.

"Whatever, you want." This was his usually response when he was lost in his own thoughts.

"We should also go to the store, we are running desperately low on supply's for the week."

"We can stop on the way back from dinner."

"I heard from Daphne." She had become uncomfortable with the silence. He had learned over the last six months she hated when the conversation lagged. He suspected she knew that when that happened he was lost.

"Oh." Was all he said.

"She and Terry are having a baby at the end of December."

Draco snorted at this "I don't think Boot knows what he is in for, if the child is a girl."

"She asked when I would be coming home."

Draco stopped walking bring her to a stand still with him. "I am not ready to go home yet."

"I know that." She said sadly.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Not without you."

"Astoria." He began to say, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I know what you said Draco." He could tell what she wanted to say was that she had hoped, still hoped that he would change his mind. He knew that he would never change his mind. He had thought bitterly once, that in a different world he would have been able to love Astoria the way she deserved.

He couldn't deny that he had become very fond of her, and that perhaps there was a small part of him that did in deed love her. But his heart remained firmly in Hermione Granger's hands. He didn't think any amount of time and distance was going to change that.

As promised he had taken Astoria to Chico's Cantina for dinner that evening. It was perpetually hot and humid out so they dined inside in the hopes of escaping the heat that waited them outside.

When dinner was done, they had stopped by the local market to pick up the few things they would need to get them through the week to come. When they returned to the small cottage they had retired to the front porch. A tumbler of whiskey in his hand and a glass of wine for her. He had been devastated to find that he would be unable to get Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. The man at the local market had assured him Jameson Irish Whiskey would more than do the job. It was no Ogden's but the man had been right it did the job.

In the distance they could hear the tell tail signs that the night life had started to pick up on Duval Street. When they had arrived it had taken some getting use to the never ending party that took place every night. Now though it was just part of the island's charm. Some nights when they felt a little adventures they would wonder over to Duval and join in on the party, tonight though they felt like staying home.

"I was thinking we could go to the beach tomorrow. The weather man said the rain would hold off for a few more days."

"We should take advantage of the quite, before the island is flooded with the snow birds. I hear come October they start to flock in from the north."

"Snow bird's?" She questions with a slightly confused look.

"According to Hale, that's what they call the northern's who travel south for the Winter." Hale was their neighbor he was nice enough older gentlemen who had lived here since he was a young boy.

"American's and their odd sayings." She shook her head with a laugh.

"It does take some getting use to doesn't it?"

"Yes it does."

Draco caught sight of something in the distance, it was an owl. In the five months they had been here the only owls they saw were those delivering letter's from Daphne, Theo and Blaise. What was unusual was today was Saturday. Letter's from home would normal arrive on Monday or Tuesday. Draco stood as he watched the owl fly closer and closer before it landed neatly landing on the porch banister holding its leg out for Draco to take the neatly tied scroll.

Taking it Draco ripped it open with trembling hands. A feeling of dread settled at the pit of his stomach. Scanning the note quickly before turning to look Astoria.

"What is it Draco?"

"It's Greg. He's been killed." The words came out in a whisper. One of his oldest friends had died.

...

When they had arrived back into London there was a chill in the air, which made Draco long for the sunshine that they had left behind. It was with great trepidation that Draco had left their small sanctuary behind to return home, before leaving he had promised Astoria they would be returning once the funeral had been arranged. Draco was the only thing Greg had had left in the way of family, and felt that the responsibility to give Greg a respectable funeral.

His mother had made sure the house elves had been by the London flat to clean and ready the place for them, for which he was thankful for. They had only been back for thirty minutes before his fireplace roared to life and out stepped Theo, dusting off his ministry robs before looking up to find Draco standing by the large window. Astoria decided then would be a good time to go and visit with her sister. She said a quick hello and goodbye to Theo before disappearing into the fire.

When they were alone Theo moved over towards the window. "Hey mate."

"Hello Theodore." Draco greeted but not turning away from the window.

"It's good to see you, even if it is under horrible circumstances."

"I am not back." Draco said turning to look at Theo. "I will be here long enough to lay Greg to rest, and then we are leaving again."

"Blaise said you would say that."

"I'm not ready to be back mate."

Theo walked over to the drink cart Draco kept by the terrace door and poured them both a glass of Firewhiskey, before going back over to Draco and handing him one. "Have you gone native? I read online locals are called conch's."

"You are only a conch if you were born there."

"Draco how much longer are you going to be gone? From the looks of you, I don't think any amount of distance is going to do what you hope for."

"I can't come back Theo."

"Can't or won't? Look mate, when I thought this was going to be some sort of holiday, or making up for never doing a gap year I was all for it. You have been gone six months. You refuse to be let in on the goings on here at home, when was the last time you had talked to Greg? Your oldest friend died, and I bet you can't even tell me the last time you spoke to him. Blaise is barely keeping his head above water at the office. He isn't you Draco. And what about Astoria, how did she figure into all of this?"

"I can't be me anymore." Draco nearly shouted at him. "If I could just stop being me, maybe I could..." Theo knew what his friend couldn't say.

"It doesn't work that way and you know it." They stood in silence for a long time. Draco knew Theo was pissed at him. He had let his life spin out of control, he had been so busy fixing other people, people who didn't always need to be fixed. Somewhere I along the way, he had failed to noticed he needed to fix himself.

"For the record I didn't ask Astoria to come with me. She asked me to take her with me, and I was very clear when I told her I couldn't give her what she wanted."

"You aren't being fair to her, we both know the longer you stay away, the more hope she is going to have."

"I know that." Draco hung his head with shame.

"Then do something about it."

"Theo I do care for her, she's gotten under my skin. I just..."

"My advice, when you leave this time don't take her with you. Shacking up with her has only but a band-aid on the wound. Time and distance will do you no good if you allow yourself to be distracted." Theo drained the rest of his tumbler before setting it down on the sideboard. "Blaise and I will meet you tomorrow morning at the church in Godricks Hallow, we have a meeting with the Priest."

Theo was almost to the fire place before Draco's resolve failed. "How is she?"

Theo stoped and turned back to look at his friend. "She has dealt with the last six months with the kind of grace that only Granger could manage. She has her good days and her bad. She is fine Draco." When Draco didn't say anything he turned back around and walked into the fireplace where he was swept away by green flames.

...

Just past six an owl delivered a note from Astoria explaining she would be staying the night with her sister and Terry. It had been six months after all since she had seen Daphne and he couldn't blame her for wanting to take the time to catch up with her. That or she feared the worst about their return to England and what being back would do to him. She did ask him to meet her for lunch the following day at the Leaky Caldron, he scribbled a reply before sending it with the delivery owl.

He had phoned Blaise to let him know they had made back to London alright, before promising the Italian wizard he would meet him in Theo in the morning.

The night was still young when Draco decided to go for a walk around the city to clear his head. Grabbing a coat from the rack Draco made his way out into the chilly September night.

Having no destination in mind he just started walking in the direction of Charing Cross, for a Sunday evening Draco noted the streets of London were bustling with Muggles. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken the time to just take in the beauty of the city. He was suddenly over taken by the feeling of being home,

after awhile he stepped into a coffee shop trying to warm up a bit. He had forgotten what true colder weather felt like. On his way out of the shop he was brought up short by the sound of his name.

"Malfoy." It was Potter.

"How in the hell?"

"Pansy put a tail on you the moment you left your flat." Potter said simply, as if this sort of thing happens regularly.

"That witch has no boundary's." Draco mused. He knew he should be pissed but it was Pansy, here she was trying to interfere again but he didn't have it in him to care.

"Theo did try and talk her out of it." Potter said.

"Pansy listens to no one."

"Isn't that the truth."

"What is that you want Potter."

"Since you are back I was hoping I could ask you for a favor."

"I am not back."

"Ok, well before you leave again I could use a favor."

"Potter I don't know if you have noticed but I am out of the favor business. I am merely here to say goodbye to an old friend." He started walking away, but Potter followed.

"Look Malfoy I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Draco stopped again and turned back to look at the boy who would not die.

"Is it for her?" He asked.

"No, and it's not for Weasley either."

"Fine out with it then."

"An Auror by the name of James Mathis is being accused of killing his wife."

"Ok."

"I don't think he did it."

"Your head of Magical Law Enforcement, why can't you do something to help the guy?"

"I can't get involved. The new lead Auror will think I am undermining him."

"And who would that be?"

"Ron." Draco turned and started walking away again. "I said the favor wasn't for him, I didn't say he wasn't involved."

"I'm not interested."

"It's a man life on the line Malfoy. Ron has found a suspect and he isn't looking any further. I know in my gut Mathis didn't do this."

"I am not a lawyer." Draco said simply continuing to walk, Harry right behind him.

"You are a lawyer, you just don't defend people in the courts. Look I'm not asking you to represent him, all I am asking is that you prove it isn't him."

"Still not interested."

"Don't you want to stick it to Ron?" This got Draco to stop walking. "This is his first big case since taking over the Auror office. If Mathis is proven innocent it will be an embarrassment to him, because he looked no further than the first suspect."

"I would think you would want that honor after everything he has done to you're best friend."

"I haven't spoken to Ron for month's outside of family gatherings. And I would love nothing more than to see the smug look wiped off his face, but it can't be me."

"Why not?"

"It just can't be me."

Draco narrowed his eyes at him, "You plan on running for Minister when Hermione's second term is up don't you?"

"It's the next step isn't it? Running for Minister. Besides someone has to see to it that her hard work wasn't for nothing. You don't get elected by railroading colleagues though, and this would be doing just that."

"So you need a favor."

"I need a favor."

"Fine I will do it. Where is this Mathis being held?"

"At the Ministry, he hasn't been formally charged yet."

"Get Pansy to get me a visitors pass for tomorrow."

"I'm not sure she is the one to ask."

"Fine Theo then. I have a meeting in Godricks Hallow in the morning. After that I will be in to see Mathis."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet." Without another word Draco turned on his heels and kept walking.

...

He had been in Godricks Hallow just like he had promised his two friends. Draco wanted to roll his eyes at both of them, it was as if they feared him disappearing if they just so much as blinked. He had told them both a proper goodbye, he wasn't sure what their problem was.

The funeral would be held Wednesday at noon, Draco had said noon was appropriate seeing as Greg's favorite time of day was lunch. When they had finished up at the church they headed over to the little pub just across the way to grab a bite.

"I heard you ran into Potter last night?" Theo said after they we all seated.

"Yeah the annoying bugger used Pansy's tail to find me."

"Tail?" Blaise asked.

Theo laughed but explained "Pansy didn't trust Draco not to seek out the Minister, so she put a tail on, so they could try and stop him before he got to her."

"You didn't though?" Blaise asked.

"I went for a walk, and the closest I came to her brownstone was 20 blocks away."

"What did Potter want?" Blaise asked still out of the loop.

"A favor"

Blaise looked to Theo, who nodded his head.

"I thought you said you weren't staying." Blaise said as the waitress set their drinks in front of them. They all thanked her and ordered their food quickly.

"It is just a small favor, I will be done with it before the funeral, after that I will be on my way." He turned to look at Theo "Did you get my visitor's pass?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card. "Do you know how hard that was to get without Pansy knowing? I'll tell you, it was near bloody impossible. Tell Potter he owes me one now too."

"What do you need a visitors pass for?" Blaise felt very out of the loop.

"You heard about that Auror who is being accused of killing his wife?" When Blaise nodded he went on. "Potter doesn't believe he did it. He has asked me to look into it."

"I thought that was an open and shut case." Blaise said confused "Besides he is head of department why can't he look into it?"

"Because politics can be a right pain in the ass sometimes."

Their food arrived just then, digging in quickly the conversation of Potter and his favor forgotten.

When they were done Theo got to his feet and headed to the bar to pay their bill. Draco and Blaise made their way to the door and waited for Theo to join them. Draco looked down when he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his small cell phone to see the name on the display. He cursed as he hit the green buttons and brought the phone to his ear just as Theo joined them.

"Hello." He said into the phone.

"Where are you?" It was Astoria "I thought we agreed to 12:30."

"Astoria, I completely forgot. Something's come up."

"How could something have come up in the last 12 hours?" She was forgetting to whom she was talking to.

"I ran into Potter last night, he needs a favor. I am getting ready to head to the Ministry with Theo and Blaise."

"You are going to the ministry of Magic?" No one could have missed the frostiness in her voice.

"Yes, for Potter's favor. Look I am going to be busy from now until the funeral service more than likely. Why don't you stay with your sister till then, get caught up with one another."

"Draco."

"Yes."

"Do you still plan on leaving after the funeral?"

"Yes of course, it's just a small favor for Potter."

There was silence for a moment while Astoria processed this "Call me later." was all she said before the line went dead.

Draco looked up to his friends after tucking the phone back into his pocket. "So shall we go?"

Blaise and Theo both looked at another and shook their heads. Their poor friend didn't know it yet, but he wasn't going anywhere no matter what he told himself or Astoria.

Author's Note: I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. I always love hearing from the reader's please leave a comment!


	8. Baby's Home

**Baby's Home**

 _Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes_.

"What are you doing here?" Draco hadn't even made it the lifts yet before he was met by a very irate Pansy Parkinson.

"I am here as a favor to Potter." He said simply trying to side step the witch, but Pansy was having none of it.

"You are not welcome here."

"Look Pansy the sooner I see my client the sooner I will be gone."

"I don't know what you are up to Draco but I am in no mood for your games."

"Like I said I am here as a favor to Potter, now if you would be so kind and just move aside I will be on my way and out of your hair in no time."

"You can't see her."

"I am not here to see her." Pansy gave he a look that clearly said she didn't believe him.

"Pansy, just let the man do the job he came here to do." It was Theo.

"Since when does he do favor's for Potter."

"Since he asked me too. The longer you hold me up the greater the chance of me running into her, so move along." Pansy looked like she wanted to argue some more but he knew she couldn't deny he was right. After a moment of glaring at him she moved out of his way.

"Thank you."

"You better hope you don't run into her or so help me Merlin I will have your head on a platter."

Ignoring her Draco made his way to the lift punching the level two button before the lift doors closed. Draco sighed, stupid Potter and his stupid favor. When they arrived on level two Draco strode up to the pretty witch who set behind the welcome desk.

"I am here to see my client James Mathis." He told her.

"Mr. Mathis doesn't have a lawyer." She said looking Draco up and down with a haughty expression.

"He does now."

"Give me one moment, I need to clear this with Mr. Weasley."

"Look lady, I am here to see my client. I don't need permission to see him, and if you deny me access to my client I will make sure you are brought up on charges in front of the Wizengamot."

She glared at him, before conceding to his request. "Mr. Mathis is being held in room 208."

"Thank you." He bit out before he motioned for Blaise to follow him.

They quickly walked down the corridor to room 208, passing a few very familiar faces on the way. He nodded in greeting to some and glared at others. Man he hated this place.

He pushed the door open and stepped quickly inside Blaise right behind him. The door snapped shut with a soft click behind them. James Mathis was sitting on a small bench in the far right corner and looked up in surprise at the new comers.

"Do you know who I am?" Draco asked

Mathis nodded "Your Draco Malfoy, and he is your associate Blaise Zabini."

"We are here to get you out of this place." Draco said mildly.

"How?"

"Potter sent me."

"Mr. Malfoy I appreciate the thought and all but I can't afford you."

"I am not here for money. I'm here to help an innocent man escape a life long sentence he doesn't deserve." Draco moved over to the man side and set down. Blaise lingered where he was. "Why don't you tell me what happened."

Mathis hesitated for a moment but a gentle nod from Blaise he started to tell his story. "I had just finished a ten hour shift here. It was our five year anniversary." His voice started to break. Draco put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I left the office about six, it had been a rough day, and I didn't want to take my bad temper home so I stopped in at the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. I sat alone near the back, I hadn't been in the mood to hold a conversation with anyone. When I was done, which was about quarter till seven I headed out into the muggle street, I wanted to find some flowers for Ellen." Ellen must be his wife Draco thought. "It was probably about 7:15 when I ducked into a small alleyway a couple blocks from the Leaky. I apparated home from there. When I walked in, I knew something was wrong. All of our things had been tossed around, the house was in a right state. I called for Ellen but she didn't answer." Draco could see the tears in the other mans eyes. "I found her in the kitchen. Someone had strangled her, I tried to revive her. We are taught simple healing charms, but I couldn't wake her. I sent a patronis here to the office. Five Auror's showed up almost instantly."

"Why do they think you killed her." Draco asked softly.

"We had been having a rough time of it as of late. Ellen hated the long hours I put in here. We had been fighting more than usually, and when they interviewed our neighbors they told them as much. They hadn't been able to find anyone who had seen me that night at the Leaky Cauldron. They said I lost control and I snapped."

Draco looked over to Blaise "See if Potter can manage to get us the case file. I doubt anyone here is going to be willing to help." He turned back to Mathis "Potter believes you, more importantly I believe you. I promise you that I am going to do everything in my power to get you out of here." Mathis nodded. "I am going to send one of my associates along to come sit with you while we get this figured out." Draco stood and motioned for Blaise to follow. "Sit tight James this will all be over soon."

Once they were back out into the hall they were met by a very angry look Wesley.

"You have no right to be in there talking to my prisoner Malfoy."

Draco's own anger flared "Excuse me, but that prisoner is my client."

"What are you talking about Mathis hasn't requested a lawyer."

"Did you ever give him the opportunity to request one?" When Weasley didn't say anything Draco nodded "Yeah I didn't think so." Draco went go around him but was stopped by Weasley's hand on his chest.

"What are you playing at Malfoy. What do you care if some Auror lost control and killed his wife."

"I suggest you move your hand before you give me a reason to ripe you head from your shoulder's, and my client didn't kill his wife."

"So he says, but the evidence proves that he did."

"You mean hurried investigation you did, I am surprised you have any evidence at all."

"He killed his wife Malfoy."

"When I prove that he didn't, and I will prove that fact, I expect you to publicly apologize to my client. You got that Weasley. Now get out of my way, before I file a suit against you for interfering with my ability to help my client." Weasley glared at him but stepped aside all the same. He knew from enough experience that Draco wasn't joking. Draco didn't bother saying thank you, before making his way back up the hall towards the lift, just before he was out of sight Weasley yelled after him.

"Don't you think you have done enough damage here."

Draco stopped and turned back to glare at the red headed man. "You have better watch yourself Weasley." He bit out before continuing on his way. Merlin did he hate that man.

...

Draco was currently sitting in the local office of Scotland Yard waiting for his old friend Marcus Reed who was a muggleborn that had been a few years below them at Hogwarts.

"Draco," came Marcus's voice as he rounded the corner and saw Draco sitting there. "What are you doing here? Last I heard you were living it up somewhere tropical."

Draco stood, shook Marcus's hand and smiled. "Just a short break from the tropics, you heard about my friend Greg?"

"Yes, I was sorry to hear, how did it happen?"

"He had a bad heart, and didn't know it." Draco dropped his voice "Magic can't save you from things you don't know."

"You lot have always thought Magic is the answer for everything." Marcus mused. "What can I do for you?"

"Is there a place we can talk?" Draco asked looking around him at all of the muggles who were within earshot.

"Yeah, come with me." Marcus lead him down a small hallway to a an empty office.

"You are helping the Ministry with the CCTV instillation in the Alley aren't you?"

"Yeah, but it's not up and running yet." Marcus I had been tasked by the ministry to help with the installations all across Wizarding Britain, as part of bringing their world up to date. "We are having a hard time getting around the magical interference. What has worked with cellphones, is proving more difficult with the camera's."

"What about camera's on Charring Cross, close the Leaky Cauldron?"

"What are you looking for exactly?"

"An Auror by the name of James Mathis, I think he will be on that camera footage from three nights ago around 7 pm."

"The Auror who is being accused of killing his wife?"

"No one saw Mathis at the Leaky that night, but if he is telling the truth then he should be on the muggle CCTV."

"What does the report say time of death was?"

"Mathis's Patronis came into the Auror office at 7:19, the first five auror's were on the seen two minutes later at 7:21. The report said Ellen Mathis has been dead less than thirty minutes from the time when the first Auror made it the seen. Mathis said he left the Leaky at 6:45, and didn't duck into an Alley to apparate home till 7:15, which would have given him only a six minute window to tear apart his house and kill his wife. I don't think that is enough time, the killer strangled her not the Avada Kadvra, and she fought with her killer, six minutes isn't enough time."

"I'm gonna need a day, to get through all the possibles camera's that could have picked him up." Marcus said writing down a few notes.

"Thank you Marcus, I will owe you one."

Marcus smiled "That might prove itself useful one day."

...

Marcus has come through for Draco like he always did. It was with enormous joy that Draco walked into the Auror office late Tuesday afternoon with a wide smirk on his lips. "I want to speak to Mr. Weasley." He told the welcome witch.

"Mr. Weasley is in a meeting with the Head of Department at the moment." The welcome witch retorted back.

"Oh prefect, I get to embarrass him front of his boss." Draco's smirk turned into a smile. "Potter's office is this way isn't it?" He pointed down the hall to his right.

"They are not to be disturbed Mr. Malfoy." The witch shouted at him on his way down the hall.

"No need to bother yourself I can find my way." Draco walked till he reached the end of the hall where he came to a large Oak door with the words that read ' _Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Harry Potter'_

Without bothering to knock on the door Draco pushed the door open and strolled in. Potter looked up in surprise before a small smile spread across his face.

"There you are Weasley." Draco said with mockery.

"I am in a meeting Malfoy if you haven't been able to notice already."

"You know Weasley I was able to induce as much. But I thought that Potter might find what I have to say rather interesting."

"If this is about the Mathis case, I don't have time for that right now."

"You don't have time clear the name of an innocent man Weasley? Shame on you."

"Did you find something relevant to the case?" Harry asked with the perfect note of curiosity.

Draco tossed a small case in Harry's direction. "That is footage of my client in muggle London, on the evening in question. Please take note of the time stamp on the footage."

Harry pulled out his new Ministry issued laptop, taking the discs and sliding it in the computer. It took a moment but the video finally came up. Both Potter and Weasley watched, the smirk on Draco's lips only widen. Draco could tell they were nearing the end "As you can clearly see the time stamp is 7:15 when he ducks into that alley way. Auror's arrive 6 minutes later at the Mathis residence. I think we can all agree that six minutes is not sufficient enough time."

"Say you, with a flick of his wand it could have taken no more than a few second's. Where did you get this anyways?" Weasley asked harshly.

"From Scotland Yard you baboon, which is the first place you should have gone when Mathis recounted his steps for you. Besides 6 minutes is not a enough time, Ellen Mathis was killed by strangulation, not the killing curse. As for the house, every room in that house was ransacked even with just a flick of the wand it would have taken precious minutes Mathes didn't have."

"How do I know you haven't tampered this footage?"

"Because unlike you, I take pride and my work Weasel. If you don't believe me feel free to call Marcus Reed at the London Scotland Yard office. He was the one who helped me obtain the footage."

"We will need to verify this video's authenticity."

"You are going to let me client go today Weasley."

"Like I said Malfoy we need to make sure this video is authentic before Mr. Mathis is released."

"Weasley you will release my client today or I will have you brought up on charges of miss use of power."

"We will release your clients before end of day today." It was Potter who spoke.

"Harry you can't be serious." Ron looked stunned.

"I have no choice Ron. The video clearly shows James walking in muggle London till just a few minutes before your team arrived. The likelihood he has anything to do with this are very slim."

"How do we know this isn't fabricated."

"I know Marcus Reed, very honorable young man. Beside a quick phone call over to Scotland Yard will clear up all your questions. Meaning Mathis will be released before six this evening."

"We have evidence." Ron protested hotly.

"So do I." Draco countered. "Except you can't explain my evidence way. What do you have finger prints, strains of hair? You can't count that as evidence, he lives there, she was his wife. When he found her he tried to reive her. You have spent nearly the last five days accusing the wrong person while the real killer has gotten away."

Ron looked ready to blow, Potter stepped in "Ron I want you to get on the phone with Marcuse Reed from Scotland Yard." When Ron didn't move Potter sighed "Now Ron, that is an order." Ron glared at Potter before stomping to the door. Right before he could disappear through it Draco spoke again.

"Weasley don't forget I expect to see a statement in the evening Prophet tonight expressing a sincere apology." Weasley didn't respond.

When he was gone and Potter was sure he was out of ear shot Potter broke out into a fight of laughter. "How did that feel?"

"I forgotten how much I missed that." He mused honestly.

"You are damn good at it."

Draco took the seat Weasley had just vacated "Not many people tell me no anymore, but I had forgotten how good it felt to help someone who was actually a good person. So many of my clients, well let's just say their character is less than desired. Mathis though he was different."

"Maybe it's time to get back to the basic's."

"No, this was just a favor to you. Come tomorrow evening I am off back to my slice of paradise."

"Are you going to see her before you do?" Potter's question didn't take him off guard, though he had never asked Hermione out right if Potter knew but he had suspected he did. Draco didn't try to pretend like he didn't know what Potter was talking about.

"I think it would be best for all party's involved if I just slip back out."

"I think that is just a lie you keep telling yourself."

"Perhaps, but I have disrupted her life enough don't you think? I would have thought you of all people would think her better of without me."

"Or maybe you fixed something in her that had been broken for a very long time. I like you, have known Hermione most of my life. I need Hermione in my life. She makes me a better person, she pushes me, but Hermione has never need anyone to do that for her, expect for maybe you."

"Some people aren't meant to be happy, they are meant to be great." Draco repeated Pansy words.

"I don't think you really believe that."

"Maybe not, it doesn't make it any less true."

"I have seen the two of you together, you breath in sync. You keep pushing her away, have you ever stopped to think what that will mean if you succeed?"

Draco didn't say anything. "Merlin knows you and I aren't friends, that being said Malfoy you are damn good at what you do. Don't let the fact that you and her may never work keep you from doing what you are good at. You don't belong on some island, you belong here."

...

Draco had left Potter's office the day before and had found himself wondering around London again, with no destination in mind, just Potter's words playing over and over in his head.

He could not deny the fact that being home, had filled the avoid he had felt over the last months. He had thought, he had been told that distance would help. It had not helped, filling the void had not helped. Soon he came to realize that the only thing that was going to help him, was to move on. He had found his great love, but she wasn't meant for him. That was ok, he would be ok. Moving on though didn't mean running away from the pain. Moving didn't mean filling the gaping whole with a woman, who no matter how she tried would fill the void that only he could fill.

London was home, and it was high time he stopping running and embraced it. Potter has been right he was good at what he did. The last few days had shown him how much he missed it. Being with Hermione wasn't in the cards for him. Even thinking the sentence was like a knife wound, it would be ok though. He would be ok, he was a Malfoy and he was a survivor and wallowing in self pity was no longer an option. He had to pick up the pieces and move on, and the only way he was going to do that was by staying in London.

When Wednesday dawn the unimaginable truth hit home once more. The service was nice Draco thought sadly. It was small and low key, just the way Greg would have wanted it to be. Draco was still having a hard time letting the fact his friend was gone sink in. The last few days had brought things into clearer focus, life was too short.

The service had been over for awhile, but they all stay inside the small church talking, taking a few extra moments from their busy schedules to catch up with old friends. If Greg's death was anything, it was a reminder that tomorrow isn't promised.

"Draco, can I talk to you?" It was Astoria.

Draco nodded before getting up from his seat. He allowed her to lead him out into the bright sunny day.

"I think things have changed?"

"I..."

"Draco it's ok to want to come home. Being back, I can see all the things I have missed out on."

"I hadn't realized how much I missed it."

"You mean how much you missed her." He could tell she was trying to hide her bitterness, but had missed the mark.

"That isn't what I said and it isn't what I mean." His tone wasn't unkind, he knew this moment was probably breaking the girls heart, she was allowed it.

"I take it you have chosen her then." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

"I am choosing myself Astoria." He could see the silent tears slide down her pretty face. "I have been unfair to you. I was in no place to start something new with someone six months ago. And I am no place now to continue it, I would only be holding you back."

"You can't honestly stand there and tell me you won't go running back to her."

"You make her out to be the villain Astoria, she isn't the villain here. And yes I can stand here and honestly tell you that I will not as you so kindly put it 'go running back'. I have been burned by the sun, I need time lick my wounds and rebuild."

"To me she always be the villain. And as long as you are here, it doesn't matter who you are with it will always be her turn."

"Astoria."

"Please don't Draco. I should be thankful, you have given me some sort of explanation, even if I do think it's is naive of you." She wipes her tears away. "I will be at my sisters if you change your mind."

He wanted to tell her that he wouldn't, but at this moment he felt that it would be unkind so instead all he said was "ok." Then he watched as she walked away up the cobblestone street, shoulders hunched over. He felt like a real wanker, as he watched her go. It had been he who would dragged her into this whole mess. He had broken her heart, and there was no one to blame for that but himself.

"It's for the best." It was Theo.

"I am well aware of that."

"Doesn't keep you from feeling like a tosser though."

"No."

"You should visit with you're mum before you leave." He could hear a touch of sadness in his friends voice.

"I'm not leaving Theo." Draco turned to look at his friend.

His friend looked surprised "What changed your mind?"

"A lot of things."

"You should still visit with your mum." Theo did not need another earful from Mrs. Malfoy about her sons behavior.

"I suspect you are right. Besides it gives me a reason to escape while you go back in there and tell Pansy I am not leaving." The smirk that had just been on his friends lips evaporated.

"I am not going to be responsible for telling that snake anything."

"Fine have it your way. I'll just ask Blaise to leak my return to the paper. I am sure Pansy will love reading it in the morning's paper.

"You are an utter ass Draco Malfoy."

"You know your glad to have me back." And with that Draco headed up the high street.

...

It was half past six when he walked in through the fireplace. The flat was empty and Draco found the silence deafening.

Walking into the kitchen he opened to fridge to find it empty of anything that was edible. He thought of ordering in, but found he had no real appetite. Walking over to the drink cart he poured himself a tumbler of whiskey before heading out onto the terrace. He was brought up short by the figure standing at the railing over looking the city that was bathed in the light of the setting sun. It only seemed fitting that he found her here now. This was where she had found him all those month's ago. He wasn't ready to come face to face with her though. It all felt to soon, and he wasn't sure his resolve would hold.

As he watched her, he wondered how long she had been there waiting for him. Apart of him wished she hadn't come. It would have been easier if she hadn't. When there was distance between them he found it easier to hate her, and when he hated her he found it easier to stay away.

"I love this time of day," he said finally.

She whipped around to face him. It was evident by the look on her face that he had startled her. "Draco." she said softly. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the soft purr her voice made when she said his name. For a moment it was as if the last six months hadn't happened, and then he opened his eyes and the feeling was gone.

Author's note: Sorry for the cliff hanger. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, leave a reviews I always love reading what my followers have to say.


	9. The Decision

_**Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes**_

 _ **I am so sorry guys for such a long absents, I was trying to figure where I wanted this story to go. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. For those who have commented of the grammar issues with this store, I am well aware of them. I however have no beta to proof read the things I write so if anyone is interacted personal message me. I'm sorry if you feel you unable to read story because it you feel those errors take away from the story. This is just something I do for fun in my spare time.**_

The Decision

"Did I startle you?" He asked. He wanted to move towards her, to reach out and touch her. He didn't though; he kept himself completely still not trusting his own body.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect to find you here."

"I..." She started to say but couldn't find the words.

"What are you doing here Hermione?" He asked softly.

"I didn't think you would be home for a while. Theo said you were at the Manor,"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I know." She said. She turned back to look out over the city once more. "I've been coming here a lot since you left." Pausing for a moment, he could tell she was trying to gather her thought. "You always called this place you're sanctuary. I guess over the last few months it's become mine too. When things would become too hard to handle I would come here. Something about looking over the city truly puts things in perspective."

"You didn't come to see me?" He asked he knew she would be able to hear the hurt in his tone.

"I did want to see you but..." She turned back to look at him. "You left."

"I did."

"And you didn't go alone."

"No, I didn't."

"Did it help?" She asked "not going alone? The time and the distance."

"No." He answered honestly.

"Do you plan to leave again?"

"I did."

"And now?"

"I have come to realize that distance isn't going to make it go away."

"Oh."

"Me returning to London doesn't change anything."

"I know that." He could hear the sadness in her tone.

"I had to go; you know that right? You know I had to do it for myself. I owed it to myself to try."

"I know that it's just I've been lost without you."

He willed himself to stay in place. Those words they did so many things to him all at once. He closed his eyes for a moment before saying "You have a team of people to guide you towards the right decisions."

"That's not what I meant."

"I wish it were; it would make this a lot easier."

"I'm sorry I came. I just needed to come here one last time." When she reached the spot where he still stood, he reached out and caught her hand with his. When their skin made contact, he felt as if he was on fire as he always did when they touched. The flames had burned him though, and he had made his decision.

"I'll see you around Hermione."

"See you around."

When she was gone, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He wasn't sure staying was a good idea, especially now that he had seen her. He had promised himself though.

When he had left the ministry he had created a little box just for her. He had tucked her and the way he felt about her inside, locking it and tossing the key. He wasn't sure he would be able to do it again, not after everything that had happened in the last year. Not after almost having what he thought he never could. He had to try though because the gut-wrenching feeling would eat him alive if he didn't. She would be unavoidable, and he would only be fooling himself if he tried. London was home; she was his home. Astoria had been right as long as he was here it would always be Hermione's turn.

...

Blaise had done an excellent job at holding the office down while he had been gone. He had stepped up with Draco and Theo's absent. For this Draco would forever be grateful, Draco had put his blood sweat and tears into this business. Being good at what he did was the only thing that had dragged his name from the mud. Even now it was all he had. Draco found it easy to return to his job; he was good at being a fixer. It was a shame he couldn't fix his own life.

Another Monday had dawned, and Draco found himself sorting out yet another scandal. When the case came across his desk, he was surprised at the name attached to the file. Percy Weasley, though a pompous ass, had gained the respect of many at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had high hopes of being elected to a spot on the Wizengamot in the upcoming elections. He would be the first in his family to hold a seat on the council if elected.

"Blaise, can you get Weasley in here," Draco said through the intercom on his phone.

"He will be here in fifteen minutes." Blaise's voice replied.

True to his word Blaise strolled into Draco's office fifteen minutes later with Weasley right behind him.

Draco stood from his chair and extended his hand to Percy who took it and shook it. "Thank you for seeing me." He said once he took his seat. "Hermione said there was no one better to handle this."

"I will do my very best," Draco said simply. "Why don't you tell me in your own words what is happening."

Percy took a deep breath. "In short, I am being accused of stealing galleons from Ministry's coffers. Working in the Minister's office gives me access to the vaults at Gringott's."

"Has money been reported missing from the vaults?" Blaise asked.

"Yes," Percy said.

"Why would they think it was you," Draco asked, not seeing the connection. He didn't know Percy well; he did, however, know him well enough to know he always had a stick up his ass and was a rule follower. Stealing from the Ministry was a big crime. He doubted Percy had it in him.

"You both know the financial state my parents were in while we kids were growing up. I wasn't gifted with a large Gringott's vault on my 17th birthday. I have worked for the Ministry since I left school, and we all know that they don't necessarily pay handsomely." Percy stopped and took a breath. "My wife and I were able to purchase a manor house just outside of Kenmore last fall. Many believe it is outside of what a Ministry official could afford without a wealthy family,"

"I see," said Draco calmly "So if you aren't guilty of stealing how did you afford it?"

"When we got married my father-in-law gifted us with a 1,000 gallons. Which isn't much I know, but I took that money and invested it into the muggle stock market. The investments I made have paid handsomely, that thousand gallons has turned into hundreds of thousands."

"I see," Draco said thinking for a moment "Do we know if the paper has gotten ahold of this yet?"

"Story's running in the morning paper," Blaise said.

"Is there anything we can do to stop it," Draco asked.

"Penelope Clearwater has the story," Blaise said.

Percy groaned. "Do you know her?" Draco asked.

"She is my ex-girlfriend,"

"So I am going to assume, that would be a no," Draco remarked. "Alright, Blaise have a statement ready. We will need to get out in front of this. Make sure we mention the reporter has an ax to grind with Weasley. Percy, how are you going to feel about having your financial records being published?"

It seemed rather fitting that he would be helping a Weasley his first week back. He tried to ignore the bitter taste he couldn't wash from his mouth. At least this Weasley was a honorable man.

...

By the time Friday rolled around the story about Percy was old news. Draco and Blaise had been able to keep a handle on the story, and kept it from spinning out of control and maintained Percy's reputation fully intact.

A personal note from the Minister had arrived that afternoon, thanking Draco personally for what he had done for her brother-in-law. He had reread the letter a hundred times by the time he was ready to leave the office. The note did nothing to improve his current mood. He had found it harder this time around to put Hermione back into the small box reserved just for her. Being back in London felt suffocating even if it was home, and he felt more alone than he had ever before.

Not wanting to go back to an empty apartment he sent a message to Theo asking him to meet him for drinks at the little pub not far from his flat. It was half-past six when he walked into the warm bar. He spotted Theo already seated at a small high top table near the back. Draco clamped Theo on back before moving around the table to take the empty stool.

"Thanks, mate for meeting me," Draco said motioning for the waitress.

"No, at all, I could use a pint myself. It's been a long week,"

"I bet," Draco said with a small laugh. "It's not all it's cracked up to be. Cleaning up everyone else's mess."

"Yeah, well you didn't have to try and explain how a million galleons went missing,"

The waitress had walked up to the table "what can I get you," she asked.

"Two pints of beer," Theo said with a smile.

"Coming right up,"

When she was gone Draco smirked at his friend "True, I never had to deal with something like that. Do you have any leads?"

"We are working with the goblin's, but as of yet, no we don't have much to go on,"

"I think I would start with the reporter who tried to pin it on Percy Weasley."

"Oh she has been called in for questioning, but she isn't giving up her source's."

"Well, I am sure you will figure it out. I mean you did work for the best in the business." Draco said with his usual trademark smirk.

"I see you've done a fine job at clearing Weasley's from any wrongdoing."

"Just doing my job."

"How are you doing?" Theo asked. Draco knew what he his friend was trying to get at.

"I'm fine." Was all Draco could manage.

"Have you talked to Astoria? I saw her the other day; I ran into her and Daphne."

"No, I haven't talked to her."

"And have you talked to..." he trailed off.

"Not since I found her on my terrace after I got back. I did receive a personal thank you note today for helping Percy."

The waitress was back setting their drinks in front of them. "Thank you," They both said before she scampered away again.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I could use some help." Draco shot his friend a glare.

"Theo I can't help where she is concerned."

"Draco I wouldn't ask, but if Pansy catches wind of this."

"Pansy will be Pansy about it." Draco finished for his friend.

"Weasley was spotted with a muggle woman by Dean Thomas last week. He is trying to keep the whole thing quite."

"They aren't exactly trying to work on their marriage are they?"

"No, but we are only six months out from the elections."

"Look, mate, we all told him to find himself a girlfriend, and to keep it hushed. It sounds like he did what we asked. I think we both know Hermione isn't going to be running again, so if the weasel gets caught now what does it matter."

"We still have the government overhaul to worry over. Elections are in October."

"From what you have said, nothing is going to keep those elections from happening. The public voted for it three months ago. If Weasley gets caught maybe she will have a chance at being happy."

"You mean, the two of you will have a chance."

"No, I think we all know that too much has happened for us to end up together."

"Do you think I should let Dean run the article?"

"I think you should ask Hermione."

"And what about Pansy?"

"Pansy days of power are numbered. My advice Theo is to start sucking up to Potter."

Theo looked confused "Why Potter?"

"Because Potter plans on running for Minister next time around. I think we all know, no one has a chance in hell of beating him."

"I still don't follow."

"Potter is going to need someone like you, and I think we can all agree it is high time Pansy is brought down a notch of two."

"Potter as Minister. Wouldn't that be something."

"Yeah, it would be." Draco said with a small smile.

...

It was now mid-October, and the long-awaited ministry overhaul was complete. The people had spoken, and finally, their voices had been heard at last. The elections had swept away the old man's club and replaced it with something the wizarding world could be proud of. To no one's surprise; Potter had been elected to continue in his position as Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Percy Weasley had been chosen to take over as Head of Magical Corporation, and was elected to a seat on the Wizengamot. A new generation had taken control of the Ministry at last.

What Draco hadn't expected to see so soon in the morning paper two weeks after the election were over, however was a large picture of Weasley and an unknown woman. Draco smiled to himself, all the same; it appeared as though Theo had taken his advice. He had no doubt in his mind what Hermione would do, given the choice.

The headline that accompanied the picture 'Once a cheater always a cheater?'

It seemed Hermione finally had the escape he had taken from her all those months ago. He wondered how long it would take before Pansy was in his office asking him to clean up this mess. It wasn't Pansy though that walked into his office that morning it was Potter.

"You weren't who I was expecting."

"I suspect Theo and Pansy are a bit busy at the moment trying to find Hermione to be too worried about damage control."

Panic took over Draco's thoughts for a moment before realizing Potter was to calm if his best friend was genuinely missing. "Is it safe to assume you know where she is?"

"I was asked to give you this." Potter pulled a sealed envelope from his pocket and handed it over.

"What is this?" Draco looked at is puzzled.

"It's from Hermione." Draco looked ready to protest. "Look, mate, before you say anything, just read it. I think you owe it to both of you to read it. In the meantime, why don't you send Blaise to the Ministry to help out? Pansy is beside herself; they could use more hands as they start to shovel their way out of this one." Potter didn't say anything else before turning and making his way out of Draco's office.

When he was gone Draco turned the envelope over and ran a finger under the seal, before pulling a small piece of parchment out. There was an address but nothing more. Was this where she was?

He debated all afternoon trying to decide if he should go. He had promised himself he would walk away once in for all. He had to do it for himself. Draco's need to see her thought won out in the end.

It was late when he finally pulled up to a small cottage on the outskirts of Hawkshead. The sun had already set, but there was still remnants of the day in the low light. He was stepping out of the car he made his way up the walk to the front door. He knocked twice before stepping back, it took a few moments, but he heard soft footsteps before the door swung open to reveal Hermione who looked anxious. They didn't speak as she stepped aside to allow him to enter.

Without a word, she lead him into the small sitting area that was off to the left of the entrance.

"I wasn't sure you would come."

"I wasn't sure I should come."

"You did though. Why?"

"It seems as though where you are concerned I don't know how to help myself." Silence fell between them again. Draco found it hard to let his gaze rest on her. He could feel his heart in his throat and didn't trust himself.

His curiosity got the better of him though. "What is this place?"

She didn't answer right away, instead, she let her gaze wander around the room before it finally settled back on him. "I sold my parents house in Heathgate several months ago. When I thought this thing between us might work out, I had this cottage built."

"You built us a house?" He asked in wonder.

"Thought this could be the perfect place to raise children, a place where we could build a life together."

Their conversation from months ago came flooding back to him. "You could be mayor, and I could be a solicitor." She didn't say anything. "You'd truly thought this all through."

"I just thought you should see it before I sell it." Her words were a sobering reminder of where they now stood.

"You're selling it?"

"I don't need another reminder of how horrible things turned out."

"Hermione.."

"Draco I asked you to come so I could ask for one final favor." When he didn't say anything, she went on. "Right about now, the evening paper is being delivered all over the country. The front page is going to be taken up by an article that is announcing I am resigning from my post as Minister effective immediately, and my replacement will be the newly elected Head of Magical Law Enforcement. It also will announce my divorce from Ron. I need you to keep Pansy at bay, and keep her from trying to change anything."

"You can't resign."

"Already have."

"But you have plans."

"I have accomplished what I set out to Draco. The new school will be opening just after the first of the year. The government overhaul is complete, and Harry will make sure the remaining bit of technology will be implemented. I am done."

"This was your dream." He was stubborn.

"Dreams change." he stared at her unable to find words to say. "Will you do this for me?"

He found himself saying yes.

"Thank you."

"I should probably being going, if I am to get a handle on Pansy."

"You can use the floo; it will be faster than driving back to London."

He nodded before standing and walked over to the fireplace. He stopped and looked back to her; Hermione hadn't moved from her spot. "Don't sell the house." Was all he said before walking into the green flames.

...

When he walked out of the lift on Level One of the Ministry it was in complete chaos. Memo's were flying back and forth, phones were ringing off the hook, and in the middle of it all was a very angry Pansy. Theo caught sight of Draco first, but it didn't take long for Pansy to zero in on him.

"I am going to kill you Draco Malfoy." Were the words that came out of her mouth.

"I am not sure that will solve anything." He replied dryly.

"What did you do? What did you say to her that would motivate her to do this." She was holding the evening paper with a death grip.

"Pansy, I had nothing to do with this."

"I don't believe you." Was her retort, her words lacked conviction though.

"That is you're right, but it doesn't make it any less true."

"Where is she?" Pansy demanded of him.

"I don't know." This was a lie of course, and he knew Pansy knew it was but he wasn't about reveal this to her.

"I can't fix this, if I don't know where to find her."

"She doesn't want you to fix this. She has made her choice, it's time we all start respecting it."

"She has gone off the deep end." Pansy was seething. Draco could see the fear in her eyes, she could see her power slipping through her fingers.

"No Pansy she is taking her life back."

"I am sure you are over there jumping for joy." The bitterness in her voice was plainly evident.

"Pansy that is enough." It was Theo who had finally decided to step in. Pansy and Draco had drawn the attention of everyone who was still milling around the office.

Pansy though pretended she hadn't heard him. "No it isn't. She is throwing away all of our hard work."

"No she isn't." Theo was trying to be the voice of reason now. Merlin knew sometimes he was the only one who could get through to her.

"We had another year and half. Think about everything we could have accomplished with that time." The anger rolled off Pansy in waves.

"She wanted her life back." Draco said sadly. She had wanted her life back for a long time, and everyone in this room for the exception of maybe Potter had denied her that.

"Some people don't get to be happy, because they are meant to be great."

"Can you actually hear yourself right now?" Theo asked. "That woman has given up everything for a world that didn't even want her. If anyone deserves to be happy it's Hermione Granger."

It was then that Potter walked over to them. "Pansy can I have a word with you in my office?" He motioned to the minister's office. She looked ready to argue before thinking better of it. The two walked off leaving Theo and Draco alone.

"He is going to ask her to stay on, but he is moving her to Magical Law and Enforcement, deputy head." Theo said when they were out of ear shot.

"You both knew this was coming?" Draco asked.

"This has been the plan since I approached her about Dean seeing Weasley. She wanted to make sure Harry was elected. Customarily Head of Magical Law Enforcement is the successor to the Minister of Magic."

"And Undersecretary?"

"I will be replacing Pansy." Draco nodded with a smile. Potter had made the right choice.

"It seems that everything has been thought of already, I am not sure why I am even here." Draco mused allowed.

"Granger knew Pansy would take this badly. How could she not, Pansy was the one who convinced her to run in the first place. I think she thought maybe you would be able to help Pans, once she stopped yelling out you of course. Besides, Potter wants to talk to you."

"I am not coming back to the Ministry." Was Draco immediate response.

"Just hear him out." They could both see Pansy who had just stormed out of the Ministers office and towards the lift. Draco wondered if he should go after her, but thought better of it. Pansy needed sometime to cool off for a bit he decided.

Potter stood in the door way of his new office and motioned for Draco to come over. He sighed but did as the forever chosen one asked. Draco figured it would be best to just get this over with.

When he reached the door Potter stepped back inside and Draco followed, closing the door behind himself.

"How can I help you Minister." Draco asked. It felt weird to address Potter this way.

"I was hoping I could discuss an idea with you." Draco nodded indicating for Potter to go on. "James Mathis has brought a law suit against the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for gross negligence and wrongful imprisonment."

"Did he name Weasley specifically?" Potter could hear the hopefulness in his voice.

"Yes, he did."

"I am not really sure why you are bringing this to me Potter. The law suit is justified, I won't help clear this up."

"I'm not asking you too." Potter took a deep breath. "I want you to come back to the Ministry, not as the fixer, but as in house council. Mathis's suit is justified, however dozen of lawsuits are filed every year against the Ministry, and not all of them are warranted. I need someone who will fight on behalf of me and the Ministry, but I also need someone who knows when we have been beaten, and knows when we have been wrong."

"I have a business Potter, staff people who rely on me."

Potter smiled, he could hear the interest in his voice, he knew though Draco wouldn't make it easy. "Bring them with you."

"The Ministry doesn't pay as well as I do." He could see the wheels turning inside Draco's mind, the look that had over taken his features was early similar to the look Hermione would often have when she was trying to figure something out.

"True."

"And who exactly would I answer to?" He had him on the hook, as muggles would say.

"Me of course."

"That could be problematic." Draco frowned slightly.

"Why?"

"I still don't like you." Ass Potter thought with a laugh.

"Yet, you are still standing here." Draco didn't say anything. Potter knew he wanted to say yes. It was just a matter of time.

"Fine I Will do it."

"Excellent, you can start next week. Should be plenty of time to get everything in order."

Draco only nodded, he walked back to the door and pulled it open. He stopped for a second and turned back to look at the Minister. "If you don't mind me asking, who do you have in mind for public relations?"

"Blaise, I spoke with him this morning, when I stopped by you're office."

Draco laughed, of course Blaise. "Why does the Ministry keep stealing my best people?" He wondered aloud.

"How else were we going to get you to come back?" Potter smiled and then winked. "I'll see you next week Malfoy."

 ** _Authors's note: The next chapter will be the last, I hope you have enjoyed reading so far and I hope you are happy with the way it all wraps up. Till next time!_**


	10. Standing In The Sun

_**Disclaimer: JK Rowling own's the rights to the characters in this story. The plot of this story is loosely based on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes**_

Standing In The Sun

Six months had gone by since the wizarding world had been shocked by the resigning of Hermione Granger from her post as Minister of Magic. It was now April and the first signs of spring were starting to appear. It was still cold in the early morning when Draco left his London flat for the coffee shop he stopped at every morning before heading into the Ministry. He didn't mind though, soon summer would be upon them, and the weather man was already predicting a drought.

Six months ago, Draco closed DMA and headed back to the ministry for what he truly hoped would be the last time. He would be lying though if he said he didn't enjoy the work he was doing now. Gone were the days of cleaning up someone else mess. Potter had given him the chance to get get back to the basics, in the last six months he had settled two cases, and won three more. James Mathis had walked away with a hefty amount of gold, though it wouldn't bring back his wife, he wouldn't have to worry about money ever again. Because of the lawsuit Ron Weasley had been demoted from head auror, he left three weeks later to join his brother at the joke shop. Draco for one wasn't sorry to see him go.

Potter had done an amazing job leading the Ministry, Draco had to admit. Though if anyone asked he would deny it. Potter had over seen the opening of the Early Magical Education Academy. Children 5-10 had a place to learn basic reading and writing skills, math, muggle science, and an understanding of how to control their wayward magic. Other country's had taken noticed of the school, and slowly were implementing something similar. Three weeks ago the last camera had been installed in Hogsmead, Wizarding Britain officially had their own CCT network. The Auror office had seen a spike in closed cases, Hermione's vision for their world had taken shape and by Merlin were they better for it.

Yes, Potter had done an excellent job at seeing Hermione's vision fully implemented. Now his attentions were fully turned to his first official run for Minister of Magic and what his own vision for their world might be.

Theo had come into his own as Potter's Undersecretary, he was doing fantastic job just like Draco knew he would. Theo had become vital to Potter and a close personal friendship has sprouted between the two men, a happy side effect of long hours spent at the Ministry. After Pansy had stopped accusing Theo of stealing her job she had finally consented to allowing him to take her on a date. They had been together a few months now, and Draco had a feeling wedding bells weren't to far off in their future.

Pansy had taken up the post of deputy head of the department of Magical law enforcement. As she would say she had whipped the department into shape. She wouldn't admit it but she was enjoying her new roll at the Ministry. Her friendship with Hermione was on the mend, and Draco heard from Theo the two were spending more and more time together again.

Blaise had come into his own as communication direct. Draco had trained him well, there were fewer messes to clean up seeing as Ginny Weasley was far less troublesome than her older brother. All the same though, there wasn't to much Blaise couldn't handle on his own. When an occasion did arise, where Blaise might be slightly out of his depth Draco was there in the back round to lend hand. Draco thought Blaise had a bright future ahead of himself at the ministry and who knows maybe even in the private sector if he ever grew tired of the ministry politics.

Draco had heard from Daphne, Astoria had started dating Seamus a few months back. He was happy her for, he had still not forgiven himself for dragging her into his web of lies. She was a kind gentle person who deserved to be happy.

Hermione Granger had seamlessly faded into the back ground, something Draco knew she had been hoping to do once she left her post. Her divorce had been finalized three weeks after her announcement in the paper. Weasley didn't put up much of a fight to everyone's great pleasure. Draco had heard a few weeks back Weasley planned on marrying the muggle girlfriend he had found for himself. He sincerely hoped the woman knew what she was getting into.

Draco hadn't seen Hermione since that night at the little cottage. Neither of them had sought the other out. No matter what he had said to Theo that night in the pub a part of him had thought the two of them would have found away to work it out. A part of him still felt lost without her, but being home was no longer as suffocating as it had been when he had first come home to England. He supposed a part of himself would always belong to Hermione Granger, how could it not. The love affair the two of them had shared had changed him so completely. Hermione had taught him a lot, but he supposed the hardest lesson he learned was, learning to live with the disappointment of finding something aren't meant to be ours.

It was Monday morning, and Draco had left his flat and dashed down to the coffee shop two blocks away for his morning fix. The last two weeks had been long and grueling as he finally closed the Winchester case. He was looking forward to a quite morning reviewing the up coming cases that had landed on his desk Friday afternoon. Jo Ann behind the counter already had his morning coffee ready for him. As he paid he heard the bell over the door chime, giving Jo Ann a smile and a nod of thanks he turned for the door but was stopped in his tracks at the sight of the very woman who no matter how hard he tired to forget he couldn't.

"Hello Draco." She smiled at him her radiant smile, the smile that was reserved just for him.

"Hermione." He breathed, she looked radiant. Gone was the haunted look she wore the last time he had seen her. It seemed retirement from the Ministry was doing her some good. "What are you doing here?"

"I had it on good authority from the Minister of Magic himself you get you're morning coffee from here." Draco laughed, Potter.

"Did the Minister say anything else?"

"He said you had just finished a big case, and that as a reward you should think about taking a few days off."

"Did he now?"

"Yup. He even gave me this to give to you." She pulled a small sealed official looking letter from her bag and handed it to him.

"Well it looks like my morning schedule just cleared itself, would you care to join me for a coffee? We are already here after all."

"I would love that."

As they moved over to a small table by the window he tried to stamp down the hope he could already feel blooming in his chest. They were silent for a moment, just staring at one another. She smiled and broke the silence. "Harry tells me you have really come into you're own in the new job."

"Potter.." he muttered under his breath. "I guess you can say that. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. It's bloody fantastic to be honest. Stupid Potter."

"I gave him the idea you know?" Her smile widened.

"I knew he couldn't have come up with that on his own." Draco laughed.

Silence fell again and her smile faded, a look of hesitation came over her beautiful face. "I have missed you." she said finally..."I have tried to give you time and space, I have stayed away, but I fear my resolve is fading."

"After everything, you still want me?" His throat had gone dry, he took a sip of his coffee hoping it would help but it only burned. "After trapping you like I did, after leaving, after Astoria? You still want me?"

"Do you still want me?" Of course he still wanted her. He was certain he would continue to want every piece of her until the day he took his last breath. Being with her would always feel like coming up for fresh air after nearly drowning from her absence.

"I don't think I could ever stop wanting you Hermione. You are under my skin, you are in my every thought, I see you when I close my eyes. I am full consumed by you, I have been for longer than I can remember."

"I want you Draco, I have never stopped wanting you." At her words his heart swelled, the hope of seeing her had taken root and for the first time in a long time he was hopeful, he was allowing himself to have hope.

"Merlin I have missed you." He said standing and rounding the table so he was now kneeling in front her her. Both hands came up to cup both of her cheeks, slowly he pressed his lips to hers softly at first and then with more hunger. He had missed the taste of her, he pulled away after a long moment and rested his forehead against hers. "I promise I will never leave again." He said as he peppered each freckle along her nose with kisses.

"And I promise to go after you this time if you even try."

It would be a long while before they would be able to get back what they had lost, a long time before they would be able to fix what they had broken in each other. Coffee though was a good as any place to start.

 ** _Authors note: I hope you all enjoyed this story. Leave a comment if you feel moved to. If anyone is interested and being a beta for me I would love to have someone read and proof my work. Thank you to everyone who has followed along this journey with our favorite HP couple! Till next time!_**


End file.
